


Neon City Outlaws

by romansgal



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Akira - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Leakira; Klance; Defenders of Tomorrow, M/M, Nyctophobia, Slow Burn, broganes, leandro - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:29:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 80,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25838845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romansgal/pseuds/romansgal
Summary: Leandro Sanchez just wants to be left alone to live a life of freedom. But all that changes when a mysterious young man comes to him for a job.Akira Kogane has dedicated his life to fighting the Galra as a soldier of the Delieverance. When he is asked to contact a man named Leandro to make a delivery, he does so without question.Neither of them know that this meeting will turn both of their worlds upside down.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), akira/leandro
Comments: 84
Kudos: 118





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This is for my best friend of twenty years, Nick, and his soon-to-be-husband, Christopher, who don't have enough love stories of their own.

The ceiling of the dingy office --- located in an equally dingy part of the Outskirts --- held one slowly moving ceiling fan and all manner of office implements. Everything from pens to scissors to loose staples were currently embedded in the cheap tiles. Below, a man rolled his chair across the floor, holding several sharpened pencils in his hands. He moved to an area where the ceiling was relatively clear of supplies, selected one of the pencils, aimed the pointed end up, and threw it. The throw was true, and the point sank into the ceiling and stayed there.

Leandro Sanchez was _bored._

Work had been slow lately. Not that L&S Delivery had ever been a particularly booming business, but he’d never had a day go by when he didn’t have at least one delivery scheduled. Now he was on day three of staring at the walls of his office with nothing to do.

He had figured that work might slow down a bit. The Galra were pushing further and further out into the Outskirts, expanding their hold on the people of the city. The people in this area --- including himself --- had made it a point to avoid being noticed by the purple aliens. As such, most of his clients were staying home, waiting to see what was going to happen next.

Thankfully, business --- when he did get it --- was lucrative. He had built his reputation as the go-to delivery boy for those in the Outskirts by being discreet and willing to take on jobs that no one else would. As such, he had built up quite a large client base that paid him handsomely to move cargo and keep his mouth shut.

Still, he hoped this current drought didn’t last much longer. He was going to run out of office supplies to throw. “Hey, Petra,” he called through the open door of his office. “Do we have any more pencils?”

A sound of creaking metal came from the front room as desk drawers were open and closed. A moment later, a voice called out “I found a box, but they’re not sharp.”

“No problem. I have a sharpener back here.” Leandro got to his feet and moved through the small room --- mostly a desk and two chairs --- to the front area of the office. “I’m almost out of ammo.”

The front room was even smaller than Leandro’s office, but it was clean and tidy. A monster of a desk took up mot of the space. Leandro liked to refer to it as HQ, because it was this desk that ran his world.

Most of that was due to the woman who sat behind it.

Anyone who saw Petra Gunn tended to dismiss her. She stood at five foot and some change with large, round glasses perched on the end of her nose, shaggy brown hair falling in haphazard waves around her face. She looked like she could be anyone’s younger sister. Nothing about her outward appearance hinted at the fact that she had the sharpest mind in the whole city, if not the whole damn universe. Leandro knew that, if it hadn’t been for Petra, he would have been dead a long time ago. Or worse.

She was currently holding out an unopened box of pencils in his general direction while her free hand flew furiously over her terminal’s keyboard. “Finding anything interesting?” Leandro asked as he took the box from her.

“Looks like there is a lot of movement around the Castillo and the docks,” she replied without looking up from her screen. Her brow was furrowed in concentration. “Like a _lot._ Supply ships have been flying in and out almost non-stop for the past four days. That’s three times the normal amount of supplies that come in. And the Galra aren’t releasing what is being brought in. It’s a bit odd, since there are all about their transparency.”

Leandro leaned forward so that he could peer at the terminal screen over her shoulder. “What do you think it could be? Food? Last time I made a run the lines at the soup-kitchens were longer than normal.”

Petra cut him a side glare, hands never stopping. “I doubt it. Those soup kitchens are for people who are no use to the Galra. They won’t waste resources there. They just want those of us they can enslave and put to work for them.”

“You mean indoctrinate us,” Leandro murmured. “Enslave us while we smile and thank them for taking care of us. They already have enough actual slaves to do their dirty work for them.”

Petra winced at the harsh bitterness in his voice, then sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said, adjusting her glasses as she turned to face him. “I know how you feel about all of this, that you want to stay as far away from the Galra as possible. I understand, and don’t blame you at all. But… I just…” She bit her lip, lowering her gaze.

Leandro placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know you want to help, and you have no idea how much I admire that about you. But we’re just two people. What could we do against the Galra? Hell, even just here in the city we’d be far outnumbered. And you know what happened the last time someone tried to incite an uprising. It’s best that we just stay off their radar and do what we can for the people here.”

“I know, I know. I just hate feeling so _helpless_.” She blew out a breath of frustration. “You and I both know what it’s like to lose family to those monsters. I just wish I could do something to make sure that what happened to me --- what happened to _you_ \--- never happens to anyone else.”

Leandro hesitated. “Do you…” He swallowed hard. He was afraid of what Petra might say to the question he was about to ask. “Would you like to join the Deliverance? Because, if so ---”

“ _What_?” Underneath his hand, Petra jumped, as though he had shocked her. “No! No way! Are you crazy? Those guys are _insane!”_

“But, if you want to help, _really_ help ---”

“Then I’ll find some way to help. But it won’t be with those guys. I’m not much of a fighter. And I’m sure as hell not suicidal.” She smiled at him and reached up to cover his hand with one of her own. “Besides, if I decided to go be a vigilante, who would take care of you? You’re far too reckless to survive on your own for very long.”

Leandro couldn’t help but laugh as overwhelming relief poured through him. “You’re damn right about that.” He leaned down so that he could kiss the top of her head. “I don’t know what I would do without you. And never forget that you saved _me.”_

She turned her head away, but not before he saw her cheeks turn pink. “Don’t break all of our office supplies,” she said sternly. “I’m not about to blow our budget on pencils because you are bored.”

He chuckled and ruffled her hair fondly before going back into his office.

As soon as he was inside Leandro plopped down in his chair and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. _Was_ he being a coward? He knew that Petra would never accuse him of being so, but he knew how she felt about helping those who couldn’t help themselves. He wanted to help, too. He would like for nothing more than to destroy every single Galra here in the city and set everyone free. There weren’t many Free Citizens left to fight, and the Galra were trying harder and harder every day to subjugate those that were left. But he had no idea how he could fight the massive horde of Galra without getting himself killed. And Leandro rather liked being alive. He’d been fighting to stay that way for the past eleven years.

Joining the Deliverance was out of the question. They had absolutely no concept of self-perseveration. The motto on their recruitment posters was “A Cause Worth Dying For”, and he could hardly watch the news tickers without seeing a story about another one of the resistance fighters blowing themselves up in an attempt to take out some Galra stronghold.

He opened his eyes and stared up at the various objects hanging from the ceiling.

Petra was a genius when it came to technology. She could hack into almost any system the Galra had developed and disrupt them from the inside out. But him? He was just a delivery boy with no real special skill. He had never really had a “thing”. Sure, he was a decent shot, but all he had was a pair of blast pistols that were more to scare off any would-be muggers than for use. Even the Galra sentries had better firepower than he did. Besides, even if he did manage to take down a Galra, two more would take its place. And his hopes of going unnoticed would be ruined.

He blew out a breath and laced his hands together behind his head. Why was he even worrying about this? It’s not like ---

“Leo!”

He jumped at the sound of his name being called, flailing for a moment before he caught his balance and managed to not fall out of his chair. Sitting up, he found Petra standing in the doorway, an amused expression on her face.

‘We’ve got a customer,” she said, hitching a thumb over her shoulder. “but they’re insisting that they only talk to you.”

Leandro brightened at this news. _Finally!_ Some work! He sat up straighter in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. “All right. Send them in.”

She lifted an eyebrow, and then raised her gaze to the ceiling.

He followed, then winced. “Ah, right. Not very professional when you have pencils hanging from your ceiling.” He got to his feet and came around the desk. “I guess I’ll go meet with them out there. You got my back?”

Petra was already sliding into his chair, pulling up the camera monitors as she did so. “You know I always do. Try not to piss off the customer, yeah?”

He gave her his middle finger as he stepped out of the door. 

At first, it was difficult for Leandro to tell if the person standing in front of HQ was a man or a woman. They had long, unruly black hair that had mostly been pulled into a ponytail, though there were still several strands that fell into their face. They lifted a hand to tuck one of the wayward strands behind an ear that was glittering with studs, and Leandro caught a glimpse of long, slender fingers sticking out of a half-glove, the nails short and square. They would have been clean except for something that looked like motor oil underneath them.

 _This should bee interesting._ “Welcome to L&S Delivery,” he said in his smoothest, most professional voice. “My name is Leandro. What can I do to help you?”

The stranger turned to face him, and Leandro found himself struck by their eyes. They were an odd grey-purple color that he had never seen before, striking against pale skin and dark hair. They also held a slight tilt, hinting at Asian descent.

The lower half of their face was covered by a black cloth mask, making his eyes stand out all the more. “Are you the owner?” The voice, though muffled by the mask, was gruff, throaty, and unmistakably masculine.

Leandro leaned a hip against the desk and offered his best smile, the one that had charmed the pants off of more than one of his former lovers. “I am indeed. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

The man, it appeared, was immune to Leandro’s charms. “A customer,” he replied in a low growl. “I have a delivery that needs to be made, and you came highly recommended.”

Leandro straightened at this, dropping his expression into something a bit more professional. Straight to business, then. “Of course,” he said coolly, reaching for a clipboard and form from the desk. “I’ll just need you to fill this out with ---”

“No.” The stranger shook his head. “I need this to be completely off the record. There needs to be no trace that this transaction ever took place. I’m willing to pay twice your normal rate for this service. I will give you half now, half when I have confirmation of delivery.”

Leandro nodded. “Somehow, he had been expecting this. “Very well. Then I’ll just need the package, the delivery instructions, and the confirmation criteria.”

The stranger quirked an eyebrow. “That’s it? No questions?”

“Only three.” Leandro lifted a finger. “Is this something that will harm me or the person it is being delivered to?”

“Not that I am aware of.”

A second finger joined the first. “Is this something that, if discovered, the Galra will be able to trace back to me?”

“Not that I ama ware of.”

“Last one.” One more finger rose into the air. “Can I have your number?”

The man blinked his peculiar eyes. “What?”

“Y’know, your number? For your comm? So I can message you sometime? After this delivery is over, of course. I try not to make it a habit of mixing business with pleasure. You don’t have to give me a name if you don’t want to. You don’t have to have a name in order to have a good time.”

The stranger blinked at him again. “Are you… _hitting_ on me?”

Leandro lowered his hand and used it to rub the back of his neck. ’Well, yeah. I mean, I’m single, and you’re cute. What I can see of you is cute, anyways.” He leaned forward and turned his smile back on, making sure the wattage was turned up past eleven. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing _more_ of you. If you know what I mean.” He winked.

The man reeled back, sputtering, and Leandro waited for him to turn and storm out of the door. Instead he jammed a hand into his oversized red jacket and pulled out a long, flat object wrapped in paper. ‘”Hre is your package,” he all but spat out. Then he reached for an inside pocket and drew out a thick envelope, which he slapped down onto the desk. ‘This contains your delivery instructions and the first half of your payment. I’ll be back tomorrow with the other half, as long as I receive confirmation of the delivery.”

Then he spun on his heel and practically ran out of the office.

The door had barely had time to close behind him before Petra came storming out of the Leandro’s office. “ _Leo!_ What did I ---”

‘Shh!” he said, holding up a hand. “Listen.”

She crossed her arms and glared at him, but she did as he asked, standing silent, head cocked to one side.

For a moment, they could hear nothing but the normal sounds coming from the street outside. But then, in the distance, came the unmistakable sound of a motorcycle engine roaring to life. From the sound of it, it was a big engine. And powerful. And apparently well-cared for by the purr it made.

Leandro’s grin turned sharp as the sound faded away into the distance. “Well, well, well,” he murmured, almost to himself. “I wasn’t wrong about it being interesting.”

Petra took this as permission to finally continue her earlier statement. She stalked over to Leandro and punched him in the arm. ‘What the _hell,_ Leo?” she hissed. “I told you not to piss him off!”

Leandro pouted at her as he rubbed the spot on his arm where she had hit him. “I _didn’t_ piss him off,” he protested. “I just flirted with him. You didn’t say anything about flirting.”

She threw up her hands in exasperation. “What have I told you about being reckless, Leo? You should just be thankful he didn’t leave and not give us the job.”

“Oh, I don’t think he would have done that, even if I had pissed him off.” Leandro stared out of the door, drumming his fingers against the desk. “I think we just got a visit from The Mechanic.”

Petra frowned at him in confusion. ‘Who?” she asked. Then, before he could answer, her eyes widened in recognition. “Wait. You mean _the_ Mechanic?”

He lifted an eyebrow at her. “Unless you know of _two_ Deliverance vigilantes who call themselves that name?”

She punched him again, causing him to yelp. “Of _course_ not. But what makes you think that was him? No one know what he looks like. Or even it’s actually a _him._ This guy is probably just some rando who needs something delivered to the city and is too chicken to do it himself.”

That was true, but Leandro doubted it, He’d heard quite a bit about the so-called Galran Boogeyman to come up with some theories about their identity. “Think about it, Pet. Why is he called The Mechanic?”

Petra looked at him as though he were a particularly dense child. “Because he ‘fixes’ the problem of the Galra. Everyone knows that.”

“Right. But that name seems a little dramatic, even for the Deliverance. As crazy as they are, they like to keep their members off of the Galra’s radar.” His fingers drummed faster. ‘What if --- hear me out on this --- what if he actually _is_ a mechanic? As in that is his actual job. And the legend just somehow grew up around his title.”

Petra twisted her lips in skepticism. “You mean, like if _you_ became an assassin and people called you The Delivery Boy and said it was because you delivered people from the Galra?”

“ _Right!_ Think about it. What is the only thing that we know for a fact about The Mechanic?”

“Um… He drives a motorcycle?”

“ _Exactly!”_ Leandro began pacing back and forth in the small space. “And our mysterious friend is clearly a rider. His boots were those fancy ones that are made to grip the foot rests if you have to make a sharp turn. He also had on riding gloves, a pair of goggles --- though they were almost lost in all of that hair of his --- and a mask. You could even see where his exposed skin had been windburned. And his fingernails had something dark underneath them that looked like motor oil. You know hoe hard that shit is to get out from under your nails. Besides, you heard the sound of that bike. That was one hell of a big engine. And someone has been taking care of it. My guess is that it would have no problems powering something fast enough to outrun the Galra.”

Petra’s expression had changed from skeptical to speculative. “If our client _is_ The Mechanic then why did he ask _you_ to make the delivery? He could be in and out faster than you could. I mean, no one knows what he looks like.”

Leandro reached over and plucked the envelope that the stranger had left behind off the counter. “Let’s see what this holds, shall we?” He grabbed a letter opener from the desk and started to pry open the flap.

Even before he had finished opening it, he could see that it was stuffed with green. A _lot_ of green.

“Holy shit,” he breathed as he pulled out the envelope’s contents. “This is a _lot_ of credits.”

“Give me that.” Petra snatched the green pieces of plastic out of Leandro’s hands and quickly counted it. “Holy shit,” she echoed. “He wasn’t kidding about doubling your fee. If he was serious about paying you another half tomorrow, we won’t have to worry if we don’t get any business for the rest of the month. We could get you a new bike! _Ooooh!_ We could get an ice machine! A _real_ one! Or…” She trailed off, eyes going distant as she stared at the credits in her hand.

Leandro frowned. “Pet? What’s wrong?”

She blinked, then looked up at him, an unreadable expression on her face. “We could… we could _leave,_ ” she said quietly. “Between this and what we have in savings, we could afford transport off-planet. We could… We could ho _home.”_

Her words hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. _Home._ It had been so long since he’d even thought of home. Of Earth. Of Cuba. He had thought he would never see it again. If what Petra was saying was true…

He turned his attention back to the envelope he still held in his hands. There was still something inside, something that wasn’t the green of a credit chit but was a single sheet of paper, folded in half. He unfolded in and read the very brief message that it contained.

 _The package must be delivered by dawn tomorrow,_ it read. _This will be a contactless delivery. You may leave it at the door of the address provided below. I will be notified once the package has been delivered. As long as the delivery conditions are met, I will return tomorrow with the other half of your payment._

Undrneath it was an address that Leandro didn’t recognize. There was no signature, of course.

He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. While this was not the strangest delivery request he had ever had --- there had been one involving a brothel and a naked six-breasted alien that still gave him nightmares --- it definitely made his hackles rise. There was no way this was just a simple delivery. But if this could be his ticket back to Earth…

“Petra,” he said, holding out the paper,” see what you can find out about his address.”

“Got it.” She snatched the paper out of his hand and plopped back down onto her chair. After carefully stashing the stack of credits into a small lockbox she kept in a hidden pocket of her desk, Petra laced her fingers together, cracked them like a concert pianist about to perform, and got to work.

In the six years that they had known one another the two had made it a rule that they would never ask each other about their pasts. If one of them wanted to talk, the other would listen. But they would never actually _ask._ Which meant that he had no idea where Petra had learned her computer skills from or why, but he was damned thankful she was on his side. If the Galra ever managed to get their hands on her the whole city would be lost.

“Here we go.” She tapped a button on her keyboard and suddenly the image on her terminal screen was projected into the air above the desk. “It looks like it’s some kind of office.” She squinted at something on her terminal, then let out a snort of laughter. “It’s the office for Galra-Human Affairs. There is no way that this isn’t some kind of joke.”

Leandro came to stand next to her, looking up at the display. ‘Where in the city is it?”

A few strokes of keys brought up a city map. “here’s the Castillo de Lyon,” she said, and a large red dot appeared, indicating the Galra headquarters. “And here is your delivery location.” Another dot, this one blue and much smaller, appeared.

Leandro frowned in thought. “It’s a good distance into the city, but nothing too risky. I’ll still be several blocks from the city center. That part of the city is only patrolled by sentries. Nothing that would frighten an assassin.”

“Maybe he’s scared someone would recognize his bike?”

“Maybe.” He tapped a finger against his lips, studying the grid. “It looks like it’s in some kind of office park. What about the businesses around it? Anything interesting there?”

Petra tapped away, bringing up a list of the offices around the drop-off point. “Looks like more of the same. More Galra-alien relations offices. A law firm. An accountant. Nothing to raise any kind of flags.” She shrugged. “Of course, these could all be fronts for something else. But I’m not seeing any warnings in the Galra’s systems about any of them.”

Leandro’s frown deepened. “Pull up the street cameras. I want to see what our playground looks like.”

A few more taps brought up the security cameras outside of the office. (Petra had hacked into the camera systems years ago and still hadn’t been caught.) Slowly, the cycled through every camera that was located in and around the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary: an obvious place to stage an ambush, a particularly narrow street where Leandro would have no room to maneuver away from blaster fire, anything that could indicate that the delivery was actually some kind of trap.

Finally, after they had cycled through all of the cameras three times, Petra sat back in her chair with a sound of frustration. “I’ve got nothing. D’you suppose it’s a test of some kind?”

“Maybe.” Leandro had been told that the Deliverance made all of their new recruits go through some kind of test before officially accepting them. ‘But why would they be testing me? I’ve made it pretty clear on several occasions that I have no interesting in joining them. And they don’t seem like the kind of people to waste resource on a lost cause.”

They both stared up at the display, thinking.

“I think,” Petra said, after a few minutes of silence, “that the main question here is what happens once the package is delivered?”

Both of them looked to the brown paper-wrapped package that sat on the edge of the desk where the stranger had placed it. As if it someone held the answers to all of their questions.

Leandro never gave much thought to the packages that he delivered, save to make sure that they would not knowingly cause any harm. This was a trait that made him popular with smugglers and fencers. To him, it was never about the package. The job --- the _thrill_ \--- came from the delivery itself.

And this one promised to be nothing is not interesting. And Petra didn’t call him reckless without cause.

He could feel a wide grin stretching across his face as he reached out to pick up the innocuous looking package. “Guess there is only one way to find out.”

Usually, Akira Kogane preferred to wear the mask that covered the lower half of his face when he was out of his home. It hid the distinctive scar that carved a large path prom his chin up his right cheek. He didn’t want anyone outside of the Deliverance to remember him. It was bad for business.

But as he was rumbling away down the street from the delivery office and turning onto the highway that would lead him back home he had to yank it down so that he could let the wind cool his burning cheeks.

When Alina had asked him to take on this mission, he hadn’t given it much thought. Hell, he hadn’t even really considered it a _mission,_ despite Alina’s assurances that this was vital for the Deliverance. So he had broken his own rule --- his one and _only_ rule --- and not done any research. No surveillance of the target, no background checks, no digging into who owned the office or financial records. It seemed more of a favor for Alina, a simple package drop-off. To a delivery boy, no less. How could anything go amiss?

Whatever Akira had been expecting, it certainly hadn’t been _him._

When Alina had asked him to go to this Leandro and ask him to complete this delivery for her, the name had brought to mind a grizzled old man. One who looked like a hardened sea captian from the stories Hoshi used to read to him as a child. He would have an eyepatch and smoke a pipe. Akira had never actually met anyone who operated a delivery service that he was aware of, and had no idea about what kind of person it would take to do such a job.

But when Akira had asked to speak to the owner, _he_ had walked out. Leandro. He wasn’t that old at all. In fact, Akira would put his age at around his own. And he most certainly was not grizzled. Akira had been treated to a lithe body covered in tan skin. Tossled brown curls that made Akira’s hands itch to touch, blue eyes that seemed almost out of place with his dark skin, and _freckles._

Gods, he had always been a sucker for a man with freckles.

Leandro had moved with an easy grace, with just enough arrogance to show that he was confident in himself. And then he had smiled, a cocky half-grin that had drawn Akira’s attention to his mouth. His generous, _sensuous_ mouth. And to lips that had been made to do nothing but kiss.

Akira had been thankful for the mask then. Leandro was sin incarnate, every single aspect of a person that Akira found attractive wrapped up in one tantalizing package. He had felt his cheeks grow warm, and had to fight the urge to tug his mask up higher onto his nose.

“Are you the owner?” he had asked, then nearly winced. Of _course_ this man was the owner. He _looked_ like a Leandro. Akira wondered why he ever thought that he would be old.

“I am indeed,” he had replied. And even his voice was sexy. Smooth, warm, with just a touch of an accent. _Like caramel,_ Akira had thought.

He had found himself flustered then, a state he was not used to being in. _Keep it together, Kogane,_ he had told himself sternly. _This is a job. Get your head right and get it done._

He had been doing pretty well at not letting that man’s attractiveness distract him --- at least, he _thought_ he was --- when Leandro’s lips had turned into a wide smile and he had winked.

Akira wasn’t used to being flirted with. Hell, he wasn’t used to interacting with people outside of the Deliverance at all. He was a loner. Always had been. So when Leandro had unexpectedly asked him for his number, he had completely thrown Akira off balance.

He had spluttered, his cheeks flaming underneath his mask. He had lost his composure, showcasing a vulnerability that made him angry. He could never show weakness. It would only get him killed.

So he had given Leandro the package and delivery instructions --- being sure to leave them on the desk so he didn’t run the risk of actually touching the other man --- and stormed out of the office before he could do anything to further embarrass himself.

Now, as he sped down what was left of the highway, he found his embarrassment fading away to anger. He should not have reacted the way he did. He was _better_ than that. Yes, he was temperamental, but not when it came to his work. And, as much as he would have liked for it to be otherwise, Leandro was just work.

By the time he had turned onto his own street, Akira’s mood had shifted yet again. He didn’t _want_ Leandro to just be work. He wanted to be able to give the other man his com number, maybe ask him out for a drink or go dancing with him. He wanted to explore more of Leandro’s tan skin, count his freckles, learn what his lips tasted like. He wanted to be _normal._

But that wasn’t possible. Not for him. Not for an assassin. Relationships meant weaknesses that could be exploited by his enemies. His life --- and every aspect of it --- belonged to the Deliverance.

So he needed to just forget all about Leandro ---

\--- and what he could never have.


	2. The Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leandro's delivery doesn't go exactly as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for Nick, my best friend of twenty years, and Christopher, his soon-to-be-husband, who don't have enough love stories of their own.

As the Galra had lured more and more people into the city with their promises of peace and prosperity, the Outskirts had been left to rot. Once a vibrant suburb, it was now home to cracked pavement, crumbling buildings, and those few brave souls who just wanted to be left alone to live their lives as they chose.

Which made it a _perfect_ place to house the Deliverance.

The army of resistance fighters had taken over several city blocks in order to build their headquarters. It was now the size of a small city within itself. They had living quarters for those who needed them, a fully-functional hospital, a working farm, even their own underground parking garage. Which was a necessary amenity, as they had amassed a fleet of vehicles that the Galra would not be able to ignore if it was discovered.

It was to this underground garage that Akira went to now, using his access chip in his wrist communicator to open the gate that would let him in. This was his sanctuary, the space that was his and his alone. Though he shared a large suite of rooms with Hoshi and Dante, this was where he _lived._ This was where he worked to keep the Deliverance’s vehicles running, where he could tinker with his motorcycle.. The one place where he could be left alone to his thoughts and work his own particular brand of magic.

He pulled Red --- Dante had christened the motorcycle with that name when Akira had decided to paint it a deep, shiny crimson --- into her designated parking spot located just outside of his workshop. He switched off the engine and lifted his goggles from his eyes, sitting for a moment as he let himself adjust to the dimmer lights and the sudden quiet. He tossed his goggles and mask onto his already-cluttered desk, hung his jacket up on the peg by the door, and headed for the elevator.

The building above him had once been a fancy high-rise apartment tower that had never had the chance to open before the Galra had invaded. It had been the perfect place for the Deliverance to move into, as there was not much that they needed to do before setting up shop. It now housed their command center, the engineering department, research labs, its own medical wing, and living quarters for the more important members of the army. (Not that Akira himself was particularly important to the organization, but both Hoshi and Dante were. And, as Hoshi was his brother, Akira got to reap the rewards as well.

He had lived in this building --- nicknamed The Castle --- for the past fifteen years, and it had been the only stable home he had ever known. It wasn’t much --- he had his own bedroom and bathroom, and shared a kitchen and living space with the other two men --- but, much like his workshop, it was his. And he was damned proud of it.

When he reached the elevator, a pair of glowing red numbers alerted him that the car was currently on one of the upper floors. Rather than wait for it to return, Akira decided to take the stairs instead. The exercise would give him the chance to burn away the last of the emotions still thrumming through him. His brother had always been able to read him like a book, no matter how hard Akira tried to hide his feelings. The last thing he needed right now was Hoshi trying to pry into what was bothering him. Hoshi _liked_ to talk about his feelings. Akira did not.

By the time he had jogged up twelve flights of stairs there was a slight burn in his calves and a light sheen of sweat on his brow. He was due for a good training. It would help him work out his frustrations. He should change his clothes and head down to the gym.

He swiped his wrist comm over the access panel of the apartment, the door sliding open with a quiet hiss. He quickly made his way across the living area, already focused on his upcoming workout. Maybe he could ---

“Akira?”

He stopped at the sound of his name being called, and turned to see a man with closely-cropped blond hair peering at him from behind a pair of square-framed glasses. “Oh, hey, Dante. What’s up?”

The other man blew out a breath of relief. “Thank the stars you’re home. I was trying to make dinner --- I knew both you and Hoshi were working today ---but…” He winced. “I think I need some help.”

Akira couldn’t help but laugh. Dante White-Kogane was an incredibly brilliant man. As the chief medical officer of the Deliverance, he was in charge of the entire hospital, the medical wing here at the Castle, and responsible for the well-being of every man, woman, and child that were under the banner of the resistance. Akira had seen him come up with solutions to complex medical problems in a matter of minutes, and could easily remember the name of every patient he had ever treated.

But he couldn’t cook for shit.

“Sure,” Akira said, stepping past the other man into the kitchen. “What are you trying to cook?”

“Spaghetti.” Dante rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a faint flush on his face. “I know we’ve only made it a million times, but the two of you love it so much, and I don’t want to mess it up.” He grinned. “I can at least cook the garlic knots.”

Akira’s smile widened, and he felt a warmth settle into his chest. He clapped a hand on Dante’s shoulder. “I’m really glad you are a part of this family,” he said softly before moving on into the kitchen. And he meant it.

There had been a time when Akira had hated the other man, would refuse to even be in the same room with him. But that had been back when Akira was a very young, very angry, and very scared boy. He was a man now, and had left those feelings far behind.

The Kogane brothers had met Dante White after Akira had managed to rescue Hoshi from a Galra prison. The elder brother had been badly injured --- the guards at the prison had cut off his left arm as a form of punishment --- and was delirious with fever. So Akira, who had barely been able to support his brother, had managed to hotwire a nearby car and drive them to the only place that he had been told could help them.

Dante had been the doctor on duty when the two of them had stumbled in. He was fresh out of medical school and had only recently been recruited by the Deliverance. He had taken one look at Hoshi and ordered Akira out of the room so that he could get to work. When the boy had refused, Dante hadn’t hesitated ti use force to have him removed.

Hoshi had been in worse shape than Akira had realized. It had taken over a week before Dante would let the younger Kogane visit the elder. Every day the doctor would come to Akira and use words like ‘internal bleeding’, ‘infections’, ‘surgery’ and ‘transfusions’. But, to Akira’s young mind, the man was just trying to keep him away from the only family he had.

Hoshi had ended up spending a month in the hospital. Once he had become healthy enough to undergo the procedure, he had had a mechanical arm --- created by the engineering team ---grafted on to his left shoulder. That had been followed by weeks of physical therapy and practice using the new appendage. Dante had been there every day, fussing over Hoshi and threatening to kick Akira out yet again any time the elder Kogane showed any sign of fatigue. Even as young as he was, Akira could see the obvious attraction growing between the two men, and he hated the doctor for the attention he was getting from Hoshi.

The first time Akira had seen them kiss had been devastating for him. In his mind, he believed that this meant that his brother was choosing Dante over _him._ That night, as he felt his heart breaking due to what he perceived as a betrayal, he had quietly stolen out of the Castle, stolen a motorcycle someone had left nearby, and driven it back to the same Galra prison that he had rescued Hoshi from. He had managed to sneak back in --- using the same method as before, no less --- and took out three of the guards and gained access to the control room. He had found the master release switch and opened all of the cells before escaping in the resulting chaos. He was back in his room at the Castle by the time the sun rose.

The next morning, all of the news tickers ran the story about the mass prison escape. No Galra had been killed, but every prisoner had managed to get free. Akira could still remember how proud he was, puffing out his small chest as he told Hoshi about how he had infiltrated the prison and set everyone in it free. He just knew that his older brother would be so impressed, he had thought, that he would do anything Akira wanted. Including telling Dante to leave.

But Hoshi hadn’t been impressed. He’d been _furious._ He’d reminded Akira that _he_ was the younger Kogane’s legal guardian, and forbade him from doing anything else without his permission. Hoshi had yelled at him for the first time in Akira’s life, calling him reckless. Calling him _stupid._ And Akira, hurt in a way he would never be able to describe, had yelled right back. He’d told Hoshi that he obviously didn’t care about Akira. That, now that he had a _boyfriend,_ he didn’t want his annoying little brother around anymore. Then he’d stormed out of the apartment before Hoshi could see the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

He’d left again that night. And the night after that, and the night after that.

Hoshi did everything he could to stop Akira from leaving the Castle. He had threatened his younger brother, had bribed him, had begged him. He’d even tried posting a guard outside of the apartment door. When that hadn’t worked, he’d resorted to locking Akira in his room. Finally, when he realized that he couldn’t stop the younger man on his own, he had gone to the head of the Deliverance for help.

But, instead of locking Akira up, they had recruited him. Alina --- who was one of the last surviving Alteans, and the acting head of the resistance --- told a flabbergasted Hoshi that this was the best answer to the problem. Akira was going to keep sneaking out on his own no matter what they said. This way, they at least could direct him, make sure that they knew where he was going and what he was doing. And they could outfit him with the things he needed to keep him safe. He was already skilled in getting in and out of places unnoticed. Plus --- and this part had been said quietly --- the Galra were less likely to hurt a child in the even that he was captured.

So the Deliverance had made him an official member, had given him something that he had never had before: purpose and direction. But it had come with conditions. Akira had to attend school--- something that he had never done before --- and had to attend weapons and fighting trainings. Alina herself would assign his missions, and he would debrief with her after each one. Akira, of course, had readily agreed.

Hoshi, infuriated, had immediately volunteered to join the Deliverance as well. He told Alina that he wasn’t about to just let his little brother run out into dangerous situations without him there to watch his back. Alina had still insisted that Akira be sent on missions on his own, but she had accepted Hoshi into the army, and allowed them to attend their training sessions together.

So Akira started school --- there was already one set up for children of Deliverance members --- then would attend training sessions every evening after lessons were over. He learned how to fight properly (instead of the street-brawl style he was used to), and how to use a number of different weapons. He had quickly fallen in love with the sword, and had become quite proficient at wielding it in no time at all.

The best part was that Akira was guaranteed time alone with his brother every day. They couldn’t ignore each other here in the training room, and Dante respectfully stayed away. This gave Akira the chance to talk about his fear that Dante was taking Hoshi away from him, and Hoshi was able to explain that he felt like he failed as Akira’s guardian because he felt like he wasn’t able to keep him safe. And then, if they couldn’t talk out their differences, they were able to take their frustrations out on the training dummies.

As his relationship with his brother improved, so did his relationship with Dante. The doctor was the one who taught him how to fix cars (“it’s good practice for fixing people” the older man had said with a wink), and had actually helped Akira build Red. And, when Dante had nervously told him that he wanted to marry Hoshi, Akira had happily helped plan the proposal. When the two had finally said their vows Akira had proudly stood at his brother’s side. 

Now, as the two of them stood in the kitchen together, Akira couldn’t imagine his life without Dante in it.

As their dinner sat cooling on the stove, the two men grabbed a pair of beers and headed for the living area. Dante was in the middle of telling a story about one of the more interesting patients he had treated when the door hissed open and the third member of the Kogane family walked in.

Hoshi Kogane was nearly a foot taller than his brother, something that he made sure to remind Akira of as often as possible. While the younger Kogane brother was all lean muscle, Hoshi was built like a tank. His shoulders were broad, and a tight black t-shirt strained against the muscles of his chest and biceps. He shared Akira’s dark hair and pale skin, though he preferred to keep his hair shorn close to his scalp. A scar ran across his nose, and a shock of white hair hung over his left eye, both souvenirs from his time as a Galra prisoner. And his eyes were the same odd, purple-grey color as his brother’s.

Those eyes now lit up in delight as he stepped into the living area. “Hey. Both of my boys are here! And… Mmmm. Is that _spaghetti_ I smell? What’s the special occasion?”

Akira tilted his bottle towards his brother-in-law. “Ask him. It was all his idea. _And_ he did most of the cooking.” He grinned. “I just supervised.”

Hoshi let out a sound that was pure pleasure as he went to kiss his blushing husband. ‘Thank you, sweetheart.” Then he turned to Akira. “I wasn’t expecting you to be home for dinner. Alina said that she had sent you on a mission. How did it go?”

Akira shrugged as he took a swig of his beer. “It wasn’t really a mission. More of an errand.”

“Really? She told me it was pretty important.”

Another shrug. “All she did was ask me to set up a delivery for her. She told me I had to go to some guy named Leandro to arrange it.”

“Leandro, huh? He sounds interesting.” Hoshi clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Come on. I’m starving. You can tell us all about it over dinner.”

The plan was as solid as they could make it. Petra was stationed behind HQ, ready to monitor the cameras and listen to Galra radio chatter for any signs the purple guys might be onto them. Leandro had a small earpiece tucked into his right ear so that they could talk to each other.

Leandro pulled out his leather duster and settled it around his shoulders. It was a little too warm to be wearing it, but it would provide him the best protection against road rash should he fall off of his bike. He grabbed his own pair of goggles and a pair of fingerless gloves. Then he slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and added the package, the piece of paper that held the instructions, and a few other toys that Petra had told him to bring along just in case. He strapped on a pair of thigh holsters into which he slid his blast pistols. He swung his leg over the saddle of his bike and gave it an affectionate pat.

His bike was nothing special. It was around ten years old and small, with a nicked and dented frame. It could certainly never outrun a Galra drone, and no one would ever call it the Devil’s anything. But it was _his._ It had been the first purchase he had ever made after he had gained his freedom, and he and Petra had modified it to within an inch of its life. It wasn’t particularly powerful. It wasn’t exceptionally fast, but it had enough surprises in it to give him a fighting chance should he need one.

He settled onto the bike and pulled on his gloves. “Pet? Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear. You tried the goggles yet?”

“Putting them on now.” Leandro slid the goggles down over his eyes and pressed a small button on the side of the frames. Immediately, a digital display sprang to life, faintly glowing green lines and circles laid over his view of the world outside of the glass.

A loud whoop sounded in his ear “I _knew_ they would work!” Petra crowed triumphantly.

Leandro grinned at the excitement in his partner’s voice. “I never had any doubts,” He squinted his right eye, and the view suddenly zoomed in. He squinted the other eye and also found his view zooming in. He reopened both eyes back to normal and his view returned to normal with them. “These are fucking amazing, Petra.”

“Of course they are,” she replied smugly, and he could clearly picture her adjusting her glasses the way she always did when she was exceptionally pleased with herself. “Try not to break them. When you get back we’ll go over what you think about them and I can make any adjustments that we feel are warranted. Once I tweak them to where I want them to be, I can start producing them. We’ll be able to sell them for some serious credits. If this delivery doesn’t work out, we’ll make sure that we get enough credits to make it back to Earth.”

He could feel something warm and familiar settle in his chest, and it made his smile turn soft. “I love you, Petra,” he said in a rare display of sentimentality. “I can’t wait to show you Cuba.”

For a moment, there was silence in his ear. Then he heard a huff of laughter. “I love you too, you big idiot,” she said fondly. “And I can’t wait to see Cuba. And Italy. I want to see where my family came from.”

‘We’ll tour the whole damn globe, wherever you want to go. I’ll talk to you when I get there.” He flipped the ignition switch, and the bike roared to life underneath him.

The one thing that everyone could agree on was that the city had once had a name. Leandro imagined that it had probably been something boring, probably named after some locally famous do-gooder or city father. Whatever it had been, no one remembered it now. As far as he knew, it didn’t even exist in any historical records. Now it was just known as the Neon City.

It had started when the Galra had first built the Castillo de Lyon and had placed blinding purple and white lights all over it, to the point that you could see it from anywhere in the city. The Galra-owned businesses that were located near the Castillo had quickly adopted the idea, using lights in every color and shape to lure customers into their shops. It had spread further and further away from the city center until the entire city was awash in light.

Leandro hated it. It was impossible to see the stars with that much light and it made him feel as though he were trapped in some kind of giant bubble. His housing complex in the Outskirts only had a lone streetlight to pollute the night sky. He would often go up to the roof and lay on his back, looking up at the stars, the city nothing but a giant, glowing blob in the distance. The residents of the Outskirts had unanimously banned neon lights, and he hoped it stayed that way.

As he made his way into the city proper, the traffic became heavier, the roads packed with all manner of vehicles as people began to make their way home at the end of the work day. Leandro weaved his way in and out of the nearly-still traffic, earning him several honks and a few angry curses. He just grinned and offered them his middle finger in reply.

His drop-off point was located in the north-eastern section of the city, which was known --- unimaginatively, in his opinion --- as the Business District. According to Petra, there were no residential buildings anywhere in this sector. This meant that the risk of running into another person after normal business hours was rather slim. Unless there were some employees working late he should pretty much have the whole place to himself.

He pulled his bike into an alley a few streets down from his destination and cut the engine. It was relatively clean as far as alleys go, which meant he wouldn’t be hindered trying to flee if this turned out to be a trap. “All right, Pet,” he murmured. “I’m here.”

“I’ve got you on the screen,” she replied, and he could hear the sound of clicking keys in the background “I don’t see any signs of Galran sentries anywhere nearby. Let’s get the Rover ready to fly.”

Leandro reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a slate-gray triangle that was about the size of his head. He pressed a small button located at the base of the triangle and watched as lines of green light suddenly appeared all over its body. After a moment, it let out a single chirp and began floating away from his hands. ‘We’re up.”

“Acquiring the signal and… There!” Another beep sounded from the triangle and a circle of green light appeared in the center of one of its sides, looking like a great, single eye. The triangle turned until the eye was facing Leandro, and he grinned and waved. “Visuals look good,” Petra said in his ear. “Let’s go have us a look, shall we?”

And, with that, the triangle floated away from Leandro, out of the alley, and out of sight.

Not for the first time --- not even for the first time that _day_ \--- Leandro found himself amazed by his partner’s genius. Petra had managed to capture and reprogram a Galra security drone back before the two of them had ever met and had used it to help her infiltrate various Galra prisons. She had named it Rover, and it had become a sort of pet to her. Since then, she had managed to reverse-engineer Rover’s design and had built several replicas, Most of them she sold on the many black markets that operated in the city and the Outskirts, but she always kept a few on hand for situations such as this.

Using one of the Rovers was a much safer option than doing physical recon. Leandro knew this, and was very grateful for it. But it meant having to wait for the little drone to do its job. And he _hated_ waiting. He had never been very good at sitting still.

He folded his arms across his chest and bounced a knee up and down. He wished he could see what Petra was seeing (she told him that she couldn’t send visual input to the goggles wirelessly because the quality would be crap), what the Rover was seeing. Was there anything out of the ordinary? Would there be actual Galra waiting for him instead of the robotic sentries? Would there be someone waiting to spring out at him once he made the delivery? How was the man who had scheduled the delivery to know when it was complete? But, if it was a trap, surely it wouldn’t be that obvious. Would it?

Just as he was about to drive himself insane with the worry and the wondering, Leandro heard the quiet murmur of Petra’s voice through the ear piece. “Looks like you’re all clear. I can’t find anyone or anything anywhere around the drop-point.”

He blew out a breath. If this was a test for the Deliverance, they were making it far too easy on him. “What about the office itself? Can you tell if there is anyone inside?”

“No,” she growled, and the frustration was evident in her voice. “The whole damn complex is shielded.”

Leandro winced. _Fuck._

The Galra shielding technology had been developed only a few years ago. It somehow managed to block any type of signal from passing through Satellites, radio waves, audio signals. Nothing could get through it. The Galra engineers who had created it had explained that the purpose of the shields was to give their government agents a chance to hold meetings without having to worry about them being compromised. To Petra, the shields were a personal affront, as it was the only piece of Galra tech that she had been unable to hack into.

It wasn’t a surprise that the building was shielded. After all, it _was_ a government office. But it did provide an unknown variable that they had no way of monitoring. Hopefully, all of the employees had left for the day and there would be no one there to raise any kind of alarm.

He took in a deep breath and blew it all out in one big rush of air. “Here goes nothing.” He checked that both of his pistols were in place, checked that his messenger bag was secure, and began to walk.

The trick to going unnoticed, Leandro had discovered, wasn’t looking like you belonged. It was _walking_ like you belonged. In the Outskirts, that meant keeping your face hidden and eyes down, trying your best to not interact with anyone else. In the city, it meant keeping your head up and walking with purpose, like you knew _exactly_ where you were going and were determined to get there as soon as possible.

He was walking around with explicitly illegal weapons, and only his duster is what kept them from being openly displayed. If he was caught, he would be arrested if he couldn’t outrun them. Then he’d be put in prison. If he was lucky.

He felt a wide, wild grin stretch across his face. This --- the element of danger, the fear of being caught, the anticipation of having to fight his way out --- is what made his heart pound. _This_ is what he lived for.

He saw no one else out on the street as he strode down the sidewalk purposefully, his eyes roaming over the scene in front of him, the goggles looking for things that his naked eyes could not see. He saw no movement, nothing out of the ordinary. So far, so good.

As he got closer to the drop-off site, Leandro squinted his eyes, making the goggles zoom in. He looked around again, making sure just to move his eyes and not his head. He tried to take in all of the obvious hiding places: bushes, trees, rooftops. Any place a well-hidden sniper could easily take him out. But neither his eyes nor the goggles picked up anything.

Maybe Petra had been right after all. Maybe this was just a regular delivery and he was being paranoid.

“Anything?” he murmured.

“Nothing.” Petra’s voice was just as soft. “No extra chatter on the Galran frequencies. No movement. No unaccounted for signals flying around.”

 _All right, then._ Leandro dipped a hand into his messenger bag and pulled out the package. He stepped up to the door that had HUMAN-GALRA AFFAIRS written across it in silver script, gently sat the parcel down where it wouldn’t be missed, then turned and began walking back the way he had come. His body wanted him to run, but he knew that would alert anyone who might be watching him. So he forced himself to keep walking at the same pace as before.

He was halfway back to the alley when he heard a gruff voice shout “Halt!” from somewhere behind him.

Leandro whirled to look behind him, and when he squinted, the goggles zoomed in to show him several Galra pouring out from the building he had just left. And these were actual Galra, not the robotic sentries that normally patrolled the area.

_Shit._

He turned back around and began sprinting down the street. “It’s a trap!” he hissed. “Can I get some help, please?”

“On it!”

Behind him, Leandro could hear confused shouts as Petra’s Rover fired on the Galran soldiers. The lasers weren’t fatal, but the Galrans wouldn’t know that. As far as they knew, they were being fired on by one of their own security drones.

His heart rate sped up as adrenaline flooded his system. He let out a loud whoop of laughter as he put on a burst of speed. That distraction would keep them busy for the precious few seconds he needed to duck down into the alley and hop on his bike. Once he hit the main roads he would have no trouble losing any pursuers in the heavy traffic.

He made it to his bike, still grinning like a lunatic, and swung a leg over the saddle. He was reaching for the ignition switch when the unmistakable sound of an explosion came from behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to leave constructive criticism (it's how I get better!) or any other comments. I hope you enjoyed reading this much as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	3. The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leandro Sanchez just wants to be left alone to live a life of freedom. But all that changes when a mysterious young man comes to him for a job.
> 
> Akira Kogane has dedicated his life to fighting the Galra as a soldier of the Delieverance. When he is asked to contact a man named Leandro to make a delivery, he does so without question.
> 
> Neither of them know that this meeting while turn both of their worlds upside down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Dreamworks for giving us Keith and Lance to begin with, and to whomever came up with the Leakira universe. This may be the best sandbox I have ever played in. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!

Akira had spent a very restless night tossing and turning in his bed. Every time he closed his eyes he would see images of blue eyes, tan skin, and easy smile, and those damned freckles flash behind his eyelids. By the time the sun started to rise, he threw his blankets off in frustration and changed into his workout clothes.

Hoshi was already seated in the kitchen when he walked in, drinking coffee and scrolling through his screen. The older brother lifted an eyebrow at the younger. “You’re up early.”

“Can’t sleep,” Akira growled as he went to the refrigerator and reached for the jug of orange juice.

“Oh?” Hoshi’s voice took on a teasing tone. “Too busy thinking about your upcoming date today?”

Akira gave a silent snarl and closed the refrigerator door with a little more force than necessary.

The three Kogane brothers had just sat down to dinner last night when Akira’s wrist comm had chirped with a notification. It was an alert telling him that the package that he had left with Leandro had been delivered. He forwarded the information on to Alina before turning back to his spaghetti.

“So tell us about this Leandro,” Hoshi had said “How old was he? What color were his eyes? Did he have _freckles?”_

The two older men had spent the entire meal interrogating him. They asked him everything --- from what was in the package to how tall Leandro was. By the time they had finally ran out of questions Akira was certain his face was going to be a permanent shade of red.

And now it seemed as though Hoshi was ready to start the teasing all over again. But Akira ---- tired and irritable --- was in no mood for it. “You know it’s not a date,” he muttered, staring into his glass of orange juice.

“It could be,” his brother said gently. “You said he asked for your number, right? Sounds like he’s at least somewhat interested.”

Akira let out an angry breath of air. “You know it doesn’t matter. You _know_ I can’t go out with him. Do we really have to have this conversation again?”

Hoshi shook his head, a look of frustration on his face. “I understand that you’re worried you’ll put someone in danger if you get too close to them and that you don’t want that to happen. I understand, and I respect that. But that doesn’t mean you have to completely isolate yourself.” His face softened. “You don’t have many friends, Ki. And Dante and I might not be around forever. I just don’t won’t you to be alone.”

“I chose this life. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to do this. I’ll be fine.”

“You were a _child._ You had _no_ idea what you were signing up for, what the consequences would be. You agreed to this because you were angry at me, and no one sat down and explained things to you. And you are _not_ fine, Ki. You’re lonely. Don’t try to deny it. I’m your brother. I know you better than I know myself.”

Akira, who had opened his mouth to do exactly what Hoshi told him not to do, closed it with an audible click. Instead, he pressed his lips together and didn’t respond.

It was an old argument, one they’d been having more and more often as Akira got older. He knew that Hoshi worried about him, didn’t want him to have to be alone in the vent that something happened to him and Dante, but it didn’t make talking about it any easier.

Truth be told, Akira was envious of the relationship his brother had with his husband. Dante brought out the best in Hoshi, and gave him strength when he needed it. He loved and supported Hoshi in a way that Akira --- or anyone else --- never could, and his brother was a better man because of it.

Oh, Akira had had his share of lovers over the years, various men within the Deliverance who were more than happy to meet his physical needs. But no one had ever _cared_ for him, never worried about him when he went out on a mission. There was no one who made him want to be a better person, made his chest ache when he thought about them. He was well aware of the fact that this was all his own damn fault, that he wouldn’t let anyone get close enough to him to make him feel anything like that. But still. Just once, he would like to fall in love. Even if he knew it would end in disaster.

For a moment, neither of the brothers spoke, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Then, very quietly, Hoshi said “Maybe Alina is planning to recruit him to the Deliverance. If he does join, then you won’t have to worry about putting him in danger.”

Akira felt his body jerk at this statement, his juice sloshing over the rim of his glass. That wasn’t a thought that had crossed his mind, but it made sense. Akira knew that Alina would often set tests for those who wished to join the resistenace. Was that what was happening with Leandro? If so…

He quickly drained his glass and sat it in the sink before hurrying out of the apartment. Hoshi’s words sounded too much like hope, and that was something that Akira couldn’t let himself feel. At least, not yet.

The training session was brutal. Akira did one light warm-up round before setting the level as high as it would go. His steel practice sword spun and slashed at lighting speeds, defending him against every manner of attack the Deliverance engineers had been able to think of (and some that were so outlandish they had only been thought of when a group of the engineers had gotten drunk). He pushed his body --- and his mind --- to remember why he was here, why he had chosen this path, why he had to remain alone. _Always_ alone.

It didn’t work. After two hours of an absolutely punishing training session, he still felt on edge. Angry. Still thinking about blue eyes and tan skin. Only now there was a tiny spark of hope in his chest.

He stalked back towards the living quarters, only offering curt nods to those he passed in the hallway. He knew his brother only wanted what was best for him. Hoshi had confessed to him on more than one occasion that his greatest fear was that something would happen to him and Akira would be left on his own with no one to look out for him. That was why the elder Kogane was always pushing him to find a partner. And it was the only reason Akira still tolerated his brother’s meddling.

He was passing by the dining hall when the scent of bacon and something sweet hit his nose, and his stomach let out an audible growl. Suddenly, Akira realized that he was _starving._ He had only drank orange juice that morning, and he had just burned a _lot_ of calories. He needed to refuel.

As he wound his way through the dining hall --- it was mostly empty at this time of the morning --- the smell grew stronger and his stomach protested louder. By the time he opened the door to the kitchen he was practically drooling.

Inside, he found a large young man with brown skin standing in front of a large counter. He was singing loudly to himself as he rearranged platters of food.

A smile spread across Akira’s face, and he felt himself relax for what felt like the first time in ages. “Hey, Hayach,” he called out. “Whatcha cooking?”

The other man let out a small shriek as he jumped higher than seemed possible with his bulk. He whirled around, a large spatula held in his right hand like a weapon. ‘Who’s there?” he shouted.

Akira raised his hands in surrender, his smile growing into a grin. “Relax, big man,” he said with a laugh. “It’s just me. Sorry I startled you.”

The other man blinked at him for a moment, then let out a woosh of air as he slumped over in relief. “Stars and Mars, Kira. You can’t just sneak up on a man like that!” He lifted his head and shot his companion a glare. ‘What are you even doing here? You’re _never_ awake before noon. And you’re all sweaty? Have you been training? This early? You only do that if something’s wrong. So what’s wrong?”

Akira opened his mouth to reply --- if he didn’t take this chance to answer he would never get to --- but his stomach chose that moment to let out another loud growl.

Warm brown eyes narrowed at him. “You haven’t eaten, have you? Of course you haven’t. That’s why you’re so skinny. And you’ve been working out! It’s a miracle you didn’t just pass out while you were training. How many times have I told you to eat something before you hit the training room? Sit right there and let me fix you a plate.”

Akira watched in bemusement as his companion flitted around the kitchen, muttering under his breath as he filled up a plate from the various platters on the counter. By the time he turned back to Akira he had a dish piled high with bacon, sausage, eggs, and cinnamon rolls. “Get a stool,” he said firmly, pointing to an empty spot on the kitchen island. “You will sit, and you will _eat.”_

“Yes, sir.” Akira touched two fingers to his forehead in a salute before leaving the kitchen long enough to grab a stool and place it at the kitchen island. Then he sat down and tucked into his breakfast.

Akira had met Hayach Garrett years ago, on his very first day of school. It had been a nerve-wracking day for Akira. Hoshi had done his best to teach his younger brother what he could, but it was hard to do when they were constantly on the run. He could barely read, didn’t know how to write anything other than his name, and was terrified that the other kinds in the school would make fun of him.

But, almost as soon as he had walked into the building where the school was housed, a large boy with dark sin and a wide smile had ran up to him. “You must be Akira! Miss Alina was here yesterday telling us that you would be starting soon. She said it might be nice if someone would show you around and help you get settled in, so I volunteered. Oh! My name is Hayach, by the way.”

They had been best friends ever since.

As Akira ate, Haych carried the platters of food out to the banquet tables in the dinning hall. Soon, Akira knew, people would start to fill up the room, drawn in by the smells of breakfast. Not only was Hayach a brilliant engineer, but he was one of the best cooks the Deliverance had. No one would miss an opportunity to eat any of his food. Akira was glad he had come in when he did.

His duties fulfilled, Hayach made his own plate and returned to the kitchen, dragging a stool behind him. He plunked it down across the island from Akira and sat. ‘So what’s going on that’s gotten you so worked up?”

In between bites of food, Akira told him everything. About Leandro, about Hoshi’s words, about his own thoughts and feelings. And, when he was done, his friend regarded him for a long moment before speaking.

“You know that I understand why you feel the way that you do. You are th most selfless person I have ever met. You want to _save_ people, not drag them into danger. But…” He shrugged. “Hoshi is right. I’m your only friend. Even when you’re _not_ on a mission you keep to yourself. We’re human, Kira. None of us are meant to be alone. Not even you.”

Akira stared down at his now empty plate, thinking. _Was_ he lonely? He had never really thought of himself as such. Sure, he didn’t have many friends --- oaky, so he really only had _one_ friend --- but he and Hayach were as close as brothers. And he had Hoshi and Dante. They all They all did things together. Plus he had his workshop in the garage. He got along better with cars than with people, anyways.

And why the hell was this all coming up _now?_ He’d been totally fine with the state of his life until yesterday. Until Leandro. _Must have been the freckles._

And the blue eyes. And the curls. And the tan skin.

“Look.” Hayach’s voice brought his head up and his mind back to the present. “No one is asking you to marry the guy. Just talk to him.” The other man brightened. “Besides. Maybe he’s some kind of secret super-ninja, y’know? Then you won’t have to worry about him being able to protect himself.”

Akira lifted an eyebrow. “A secret super-ninja disguising himself as a delivery boy?”

“Why not? Everyone thinks _you’re_ nothing more than our temperamental mechanic when you’re _really_ a deadly assassin who stalks the nightmares of even the most hardened of Galra warriors!”

Well. He had a point there.

“So, I just… _talk_ to him?” Akira’s voice was hesitant. Was he _really_ going to do this? “How? About what?”

Hayach shrugged. “About anything you want. Ask him his middle name. That’s always a fun ice-breaker. Ask him where he’s from, what’s his favorite food. You can learn a lot about someone by asking them what their favorite food is. Oooh! Ask him his favorite color, too. Then you give him your number. You said he asked for it, right?”

Akira nodded.

His friend beamed. “See? There’s already a mutual attraction there! So just talk to him like you’re talking to me. I mean, what do you have to lose?”

After a shower and a change of clothes, Akira made his way to the command center. Alina wasn’t there, but Curran was.

Curran was an odd man, with a bright shock of red hair and an enormous moustache that had fallen out of fashion before Akira was born. Like Alina, he was Altean, his heritage noted by strange, triangle-shaped markings under both eyes. He acted as her advisor, right-hand man, and sometimes-father-figure.

“Good morning, Akira,” he said cheerfully when the other man entered the large room. “Alina isn’t here right now, but she said you’d be stopping by. She asked me to give you this.” He held out a thick envelope similar to the one he had given to Leandro yesterday.

“Anything else?” he asked as he took the envelope. ‘Any additional instructions?”

“No. She said you would know what to do.”

“Then I’ll go take care of this right now.” Akira offered Curran a nod before leaving.

Once in the garage, he slid on his jacket --- being sure to tuck the envelope into an interior pocket for safety --- before covering his face with his mask and his eyes with his goggles. This was it. He was going to talk to Leandro. _Actually_ talk to him. Maybe even flirt. If he could manage it.

The idea set a wave of warmth over his whole body. He’d never flirted with anyone before. Had no idea _how_ to, really. And --- if he was being honest with himself --- he was looking forward to the challenge.

With a smile, he flipped Red’s ignition switch.

He used the ride through the crumbling streets of the Outskirts to think about what he was going to say when he saw Leandro again. _Hello. My name is Akira. Here is that number you were wanting._

Maybe. It could work, but he didn’t think it would leave a lasting impression. He needed something catchy, some interesting, something that would hold Leandro’s attention.

_Hey there, handsome. You said you wanted to see more of me, right? Why don’t you call me some time and you can take a look at anything you want._

He felt his face go hot under his mask. _Stars,_ no! He could never be that bold. Besides, he was looking for more than just sex. _Hoping_ for more than just sex.

But what if all _Leandro_ wanted was just sex? What if that was what the other man had been angling for yesterday when he’d flirted with Akira? It’s not that Akira had any problems with casual sex --- after all, that was the only kind of sex he’d ever had --- but for some strange reason, the idea of Leandro being just another causal lover made something twist in his chest.

And, what if… What is Leandro hadn’t been interested in him at _all?_ What if all of his flirting yesterday had been for show, maybe just to get a rise out of him? What if Akira tried to flirt back and Leandro rejected him??

By the time he’d parked Red in the same side street as yesterday, Akira’s stomach was twisted into knots, and his breakfast was threatening to make a reappearance. He took a moment to try and fix his hair, which had twisted into snarls in the wind, and straightened his shirt. Then he took a deep breath before beginning the walk towards Leandro’s office. He made sure to keep his chin tilted up, head held high. _I can do this._

He was passing by a small delivery alley when a hand shot out, grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket, and yanked him into the darkness. Akira barely had time to register what was happening before his back was being slammed into something hard.

Instincts kicked in, And Akira started reaching for the sword he normally kept strapped to his back, only belatedly realizing he’d broken his number two rule --- again --- and not brought a sword. The only weapon he had was his brother’s blade that was strapped to the back of his waist, which was currently pressed against what he assumed was a wall and unable to be reached.

Before he could complete the movement, however, he felt the cool kiss of metal from a gun barrel press into his forehead. “ _Don’t move!”_ snarled an agry voice from somewhere above him. “Or your brains will be spread all over this alley.”

Akira opened his mouth to say something --- try to defend himself, maybe --- but whoever had a hold of him gave him a shake, causing his head to bounce .,off the wall and stars to explode behind his eyes. He blinked, trying to clear his vision ---

\---and found himself looking directly into a pair of angry blue eyes.

_Leandro._

The other man looked… Well, he still looked beautiful. Akira didn’t think the other man would ever look anything _but_ beautiful. But he was certainly the worse for wear. His skin looked paler than Akira remembered, his freckles standing out starkly. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his brown curls were sticking out in very direction, as if he had been running his hands though them over and over.

And he was _furious._

“you _set me up,_ you son of a bitch!” he hissed, pressing the gun barrel deeper into Akira’s skin.”You fucking _lied_ to me!”

Akira slowly lifted his hands, palms out, in a gesture of surrender. “What are you talking about?”

“The package you gave me yesterday? The one that you said _wouldn’t hurt me or the person I was delivering it to?_ It was a _bomb._ A bomb that went _off. And_ it killed three Galra. Do you know what means?”

Akira just stared at hime, not comprehending. “A… _bomb?_ But…” He shook his head slowly. “No. That’s not possible. She wouldn’t have sent a bomb. Bit with ne, and certainly not with you. We only use bombs against the Galra.”

Leandro stared at him for a moment, his face twisted into something ugly. “You’re with the Deliverance, aren’t you? You’re the one they call The Mechanic.”

Akira’s breath hissed in between his teeth, eyes going wide. “How did you know?” he asked sharply as something that felt like a cold fist gripped his heart. Of Leandro knew who he was…Well, that was a secret Akira couldn’t afford to let go free.

The other man tilted his head, studying him. “How did I know you were the boogeyman of the purple bastards? Lucky guess.” His eyes narrowed. “But if you don’t start talking --- or I don’t like what you have to say --- you better believe I’ll walk straight to the Castillo de Lyon myself and turn you in. They might forgive me if I give them you instead.”

Akira lifted his gaze so that he was staring directly into Leandro’s eyes He wouldn’t let the other man do that. He _couldn’t._ No matter what it took. No matter the sick feeling that twisted his guts at the idea of having to kill the same man he had so recently been dreaming of seducing. “I have no ide what was in that package,” he said, voice steady. “I was told to bring it to you --- _you,_ specially --- and arrange the delivery. That was it.”

His companion arched an eyebrow. “So the Deliverance asks their top assassin to have a package delivered, and you didn’t even bother to ask what was in it?” His voice dripped with scorn.

Akira felt the sudden need to defend himself, and he lifted his chin in defiance. “I’m a solider. I’ve stayed alive this long by trusting my superiors and _not_ asking questions.”

Leandro stared at him for a moment longer before letting out a snort and taking a step back. He lowered the gun from Akira’s forehead and tucked it into a holster that was strapped to his thigh. “No wonder your people keep blowing themselves up. They’re not suicidal. They’re just _stupid._ ”

Akira let out a snarl. Before his brain could register that he was moving, he found himself with a fistful of Leandro’s shirt, and the other man’s nose was nearly touching his. “We _never_ ask anyone to sacrifice themselves! Every single member of the Deliverance is told the details of every mission they are asked to go on, and they are always allowed to say no. We are trying to _save_ people, not kill them. But, if they are captured by the Galra, many of them choose to sacrifice themselves rather than allow themselves to be taken prisoner.”

Leandro’s eyes --- the same eyes that had haunted Akira all night --- stared steadily into his. And, when he spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet. So. I guess you all decided to start ruining other people’s lives instead, huh?”

Akira flinched at this. “I ---”

“Did they at least tell you _whose_ life you would be running?”

‘They told me that your name was Leandro.”

“Well, my name _is_ Leandro.” He reached up and grasped the collar of his shirt, right above Akira’s fist, yanking it down hard so that his right shoulder was exposed. “Leandro Julian _Sanchez._ Does that name ring any bells for you?”

Akira stared at the exposed flesh before him, where a large, angry black mark in the shape of a hand covered Leandro’s entire shoulder and the base of his throat.

It was a slave mark, a cruel byrn in the shape of the Galran hand that had administered it. The marks were placed on ‘laborers’ that the Galrans had ‘acquired’, usually through force. Many of them were used to do the jobs that the conquers thought of as menial or dangerous. They were seen as nothing more than property, tools to be used and replaced when they became broken.

And he said his name was Sanchez.

_Leandro Julian Sanchez._

Akira felt his eyes go round as he realized just who was standing in front of him. “You’re the missing Sanchez brother,” he breathed, trying to wrap his head around this latest development.

“Not missing,” Leandro growled, pulling his shirt back into place to hide the incriminating mark. “Dead.”

Akira shook his head. “No. No, we always suspected that you were still alive, despite the Galra reporting that they had found and killed you. There was never a body, and they ---”

“ _Dead!”_ Leandro shouted, Then he spun away from Akira, dragging a hand through his hair. ‘At least, I was. Until yesterday. Until _you_ walked into my office and fucked everything up. Now I’m a wanted man, The Galra will come looking for me, wanting to publicly execute whoever it was that killed three Galra. And if they find me --- if they realize who I am ---” He whirled back around, anger and pain written clearly across his face. “They won’t kill me. Oh, no. I wouldn’t get that lucky.”

Akira reeled back as though he had physically been struck. “I ---” He swallowed hard. “I ---”

“Didn’t know. I know.” Leandro eas pacing now, “It doesn’t matter now. What _does_ matter is --- _Shit!”_

Akira’s hand shot out, lightning fast, and once again grabbed a fistful of the other man’s shirt. This time, he gave it a hard yank, causing Leandro to stumble forward and into him.

Right as the purple bolt of a pulse rifle screamed through the air where Leandro had just been standing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! As always, please feel free to leave constructive criticism or any other helpful feedback you may have.


	4. The Reckoning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leandro Sanchez just wants to be left alone to live a life of freedom. But all that changes when a mysterious young man comes to him for a job.
> 
> Akira Kogane has dedicated his life to fighting the Galra as a soldier of the Delieverance. When he is asked to contact a man named Leandro to make a delivery, he does so without question.
> 
> Neither of them know that this meeting while turn both of their worlds upside down.

Leandro couldn’t remember ever having been this tired in his life. His eyes were blurry, his brain foggy, his body sluggish. Even the burst of adrenaline that had spiked through him at seeing the man who had given him the bomb was short-lived, leaving him feeling even more exhausted, if that was even possible.

That was why he didn’t see the small group of robotic sentries turn down the service alley, why he didn’t see the leader lift his pulse rifle and fire. It was also the reason why he stumbled when he was yanked forward, falling hard against the other man. He told himself later that it was also the reason why his first thought was _Wow. His muscles are really hard_ when he caught himself on his chest.

The stranger (Leandro realized that he _still_ hadn’t offered up his name) let go of his shirt to snake an arm around Leandro’s waist, pulling him even closer so that their chests were pressed together. The assassin reached under Leandro’s coat, his hand skimming up his thigh until it found the blast pistol strapped there. He pulled it free and pointed it at the three sentries, resting his wrist on Leandro’s shoulder for stabilization. He fired one, two, three times. Behind him, Leandro could hear loud thumps as each shot hit their mark and the sentries dropped to the ground. The whole sequence of events had happened in under a minute.

Okay. _That_ was impressive.

The other man stepped back from him, letting go of his waist and holding out his gun. “Let’s go,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “My bike is just around the corner. We need to be gone before any more sentries shows up.”

Numbly, Leandro took his pistol and slid it back into its holster. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good idea. Um… Where are we going to go?”

“The Deliverance.” His companion turned and began walking back towards the street. “Someone there needs to tell us what the hell is going on.”

That made sense. He hurried after the retreating figure.

Just like yesterday, his instincts were screaming at him to run, to get away as fast as he could. But he knew that running right now would get him killed rather than save him. If there was one sentry patrol here --- and not even a full one to boot --- there could easily be more. And, when the downed sentries failed to check in, he had no doubt that a patrol of actual Galra soldiers would come to investigate. So he would walk like he belonged.

That, however, turned out to be more difficult than he’d thought. He was a few good inches taller than his companion, and he had to shorten his stride so that they could walk side-by-side. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his duster and ducked his head so that his face would be partially obscured by the coat’s collar. “So,” he murmured. “Are you finally going to give me your name? Or do you just want me to call you ‘Hey, you’?”

“That depends. Are you still planning on turning me over to the Galra?” There was a hard edge to his voice.

Ah. He’d said that, hadn’t he? He huffed out a breath. “Look, man. I’m tired. I’ve been awake for over twenty-four hours and don’t remember the last time I had anything to eat. Plus, I am beyond pissed at this whole situation. But I’m not _stupid._ The Galra would take the information, then shoot me in the back as I was walking away. So, no. Your secret is safe with me.”

The two continued walking down the street in silence, and Leandro started to think that the other man wasn’t going to give him his name. Then, softly Leandro heard, “Akira. My name is Akira. Akira Kogane.”

_Akira, huh?_ Leandro turned the name over a few times. “Well, Akira Kogane. I would say it was nice to meet you, but, circumstances being what they are…”

The other man flinched, and Leandro could have kicked himself. _Way to go, Sanchez. This guy may be a tool, but he_ did _just save your life. Plus, he could probably kill you with his pinky. So try not to piss him off, yeah?_

“Look, Akira.” He reached up to run his hand through his hair. “I-I’m not exactly at my best right now, and I’m sorry. But I do want to say thank you. For saving me back there.”

Akira shrugged. “I’m the one that got you into this mess. It’s my duty to get you out.” He nodded at a fenced-in trash area tucked up against a shop wall. “My bike’s in there.”

Leandro looked to where Akira was pointing and wrinkled his nose. “You parked your bike by the _trash_?”

“It was the only place I could find to hide it.” Akira disappeared behind the fence, then reemerged a short time later pushing the most beautiful machine Leandro had ever seen.

He let out a low whistle of appreciation as his eyes roamed over the vehicle. It was large, just as Leandro had suspected, but it had _curves._ He had no doubt that it was just as agile as those bikes that were used in the late-night street races that he liked to watch (and weren’t entirely legal). And it gleamed a beautiful cherry red. “Wow. No wonder the Galra call that thing the Devil’s Ride. It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks.” Akira climbed onto the bike and jerked his chin towards the seat behind him. “Get on.”

Leandro eyed the seat and hesitated. It was narrow and looked as though it had not been designed to carry two people. And there was nothing for him to hold on to, except for Akira himself, which meant that he would have to spend this trip pressed up against the assassin and holding on his hips. “Er…”

Akira turned his head to lift an eyebrow at him, and Leandro got the distinct impression that, underneath that mask, the other man was wearing an amused expression. “What’s wrong? Scared?”

Leandro scowled at him. “No,” he huffed, then moved to climb up behind him. It wasn’t that he _minded_ being shoved against the assassin. Quite the opposite, actually. He had felt the hard planes of Akira’s chest, and he had no doubt that he would not find one ounce of softness if he were given the chance to explore Akira’s whole body. The problem was that he was exhausted, which meant that what little filter he had was gone. And, with his thighs being pressed against Akira’s, and his hands on his hips… It would just be way too easy for things to get awkward.

As he gingerly placed his hands on his companion’s waist, Akira grabbed one of them and pulled it around to rest on his stomach. His _flat_ stomach, Leandro couldn’t help but notice. “You’re going to have to hold on tighter than that,” he said, and --- was it Leandro’s imagination, or had Akira’s voice gone a bit husky? “I tend to go fast.”

He swallowed hard and begged his body not to respond because there would be no way that Akira wouldn’t be able to notice _that_. He was extremely grateful that the other man could not see his face, as it was currently hotter than the surface of the sun. He opened his mouth to reply but was (thankfully) interrupted by the sound of pounding feet behind him “Stop!” came a deep guttural voice. “In the name of the Galra Empire, _stop!”_

Leandro whipped his head around to see two Galra --- _real_ Galra this time --- running up the street in their direction. Both of them had their weapons out and pointed at the two of them.

“Hang on!” Akira shouted just as the machine roared to life beneath them.

Leandro let out a yelp as they rocketed forward, kept on the bike only by the arm he had curled around Akira’s waist. He flailed his other arm for a moment, trying to regain his balance, before throwing it around Akira’s waist, clasping his hands together over the other man’s stomach. His goggles were sitting on his head, but he was too afraid to let go long enough to reach up and pull them down. So he just squeezed his eyes shut and ducked his head down, pressing it against the back of Akira’s shoulder in order to protect his eyes.

They sped down the street at speeds that his bike could only dream of. Akira turned his head, long hair whipping in the wind. “When I say go,” he shouted, “you lean to the right. Hard. Got it?”

Leandro lifted his head, squinting against the wind. “What are you…?”

“Get ready!” Akira throttled the bike, and it somehow went even faster. ‘We’re going to turn onto the highway in about five ticks!”

Leandro felt his eyes go wide. “ _What?_ At this speed? We’ll never ---“

“Three!”

“ _You’re going to get us ---”_

“Two!”

“ _Just stop!”_

“One! _Lean!”_

He screamed as he ducked his head back down, squeezing Akira has tight as he could as he threw his body hard to the right at the same time that Akira did. The bike leaned over, farther and farther, as they swung out onto the highway. Leandro felt his ankle start to scrape the pavement, then his calf, the leather of the duster protecting him from road rash. He waited for his knee to hit, or for the bike to fall over --- there was no way this could physically be possible --- but then he felt Akira start to lean back to the left, and he had no choice but to follow him.

Somehow --- _somehow_ \--- they were back upright once again, roaring down the highway. Distantly, Leandro was aware of the sounds of car horns blaring at them, but all of his attention was focused on staying on the bike. _God. This guy is going to get us killed! There is no way he should have been able to pull that off, not at this speed. We shouldn’t even be able to go this fast!_

Leandro hadn’t prayed in years, not since he had left Cuba. But as Akira deftly wove them in and out of the traffic at a breakneck speed, the words of the prayer his mother used to recite with him every night before bed came right back. _Hail Mary, full of grace…_

And when the wind carried the sound of Akira’s maniacal laughter back to him, he prayed even harder.

It didn’t take long to become apparent that Akira was making sure to loop around and backtrack in order to throw off any possible pursuers (not that anyone could have actually _followed_ them, mid you. But the Galra now knew what they looked like, and Leandro doubted there were very many cherry-red motorcycles that could break the sound barrier floating around.) Even Leandro, who thought he knew the Outskirts like the back of his hand, was soon lost.

As his fight-or-flight response started to fade, Leandro found his earlier weariness returning with a vengeance. He found it impossible to keep his eyes open or lift his head. He left it resting against Akira’s shoulder and hoped that the other man wouldn’t mind if he just…

He jolted awake when he felt the bike slow to a stop. He lifted his head, blinking blearily at his unfamiliar surroundings. “Where …” He yawned. “Where are we?”

“Welcome back,” Akira called over his shoulder. “Did you sleep well? You’ve been drooling on me for the past ten minutes.”

He spluttered, one hand reaching up to wipe at his mouth “I did _not!”_ he protested, feeling his face burn with mortification. “I don’t drool.” Still, he looked to where his face had been pressed to Akira’s jacket, trying to see if there was any evidence that he had, in fact, been drooling. “And you didn’t answer my question.”

“We’re at the Deliverance headquarters.” Akira pulled up in front of a massive wrought-iron gate and waved his right hand at an access panel. Leandro heard a faint beep, then the gate began to swing inward on silent hinges.

As they drove down a ramp to a dimly-lit area, Leandro felt his jaw drop-open at the sight that lay before him.

There were vehicles _everywhere,_ as far as the eye could see. Not just the everyday cars he was used to seeing on the highways , but boats, military trucks, semis, and even things that looked like the oil tankers he used to see back home. He had never seen this many vehicles in one place before. Not even back on Earth.

Akira pulled into an area next to a large, open-faced work area and killed the engine. “Are all of these _yours?”_ Leandro asked, his voice loud in the sudden quiet.

“They belong to the Deliverance. Some, like Red here” --- he patted the motorcycle underneath him affectionately “--- are private vehicles. Some are available to loan out to our members. And some are strictly used for missions.” He stood up, moving forward so that Leandro would have room to get off the bike. “But I am responsible for taking care of all of them, yeah.”

So. He had been right. The Mechanic _was_ a mechanic. Leandro hoped that he would get the chance to gloat to Petra about that.

It took him a few minutes to get off of the bike, as his legs currently felt like rubber, probably because he’d been squeezing the bike with his thighs as hard as he could so that he didn’t fall off. When he finally felt like he could safely stand, he turned to Akira with a question on his lips. But when he caught sight of his companion, all that came out was “Woah”.

While he had been trying to get his land legs back, Akira had divested himself of his jacket, gloves, mask, and goggles. Now standing in nothing but a black t-shirt and jeans, Leandro was finally able to get a good look at the wiry muscles that could clearly be seen in the other man’s arms. Normally, Leandro would be dying to give Akira’s biceps a squeeze --- he _loved_ men who had arms that looked capable of sweeping him off of his feet and carrying him around with no problems ---but he was too busy staring at his face instead.

Those arresting eyes were fixed on him, peering out from behind dark hair. Most of it had come lose from its tail during their wild ride and now hung down to frame a face that was just as striking. He had high, sharp cheekbones that most women --- and some men --- would have killed for. His jaw was strong, and his nose could have been called aristocratic were it not for the bump in the middle, showing that it had been broken at least once. And, on his right cheek, was a large, angry scar --- a burn from the looks of it --- that rose diagonally from his chin almost to the bridge of his nose.

_Oh._ Leandro’s very tired, unfiltered brain thought. _He’s hot._

“Let’s go,” Akira said, saving him from whatever else his brain might come up with. “I know you said you haven’t eaten, so we’ll go to the kitchen and get you some food first.”

_Food._ His stomach, which had nearly forgotten about its near-empty state during the confrontation with Akira and their subsequent flight, suddenly let out a loud growl. He placed a hand on it. “Yeah. Food would be great. Thanks.”

Akira led him over to an elevator and pushed the button. As they waited for the car to descend the dark-haired man touched something on his right wrist that looked to Leandro like a chunky, unfashionable timepiece. “Hayach,” he said. Leandro started to say “bless you”, but when Akira kept speaking, he realized that it had been a name and not a sneeze. “Are you busy right now?”

There was a spark of light, and Leandro jumped as an illuminated image of a rather rotund young man appeared over the device on Akira’s wrist. “Hey, Ki! I’m good right now. What’s up?”

“Can you tell me what’s ready to eat in the kitchen? Sandwiches? Frozen leftovers? We need something quick and easy.” Akira looked over at Leandro. “And a lot of it.”

“Wait. Did you say ‘we’?” The other man’s illuminated face loomed in close. “Do you have Leandro with you? Oh, Ki! I’m so proud of you! Did you ---“

“Not now, Hayach.” Akira’s voice was sharp. “Suffice it to say, things did not go as planned. I’ll explain everything later. Right now, we need food.”

Hayach leaned back, but they could easily tell that he was grinning. “Sure,” he said, drawing the word out. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen in five.”

Then he was gone.

“So,” Leandro said in a casual tone of voice, as the elevator chimed and the doors opened. “You’ve been talking about me, huh?”

Akira sighed as he stepped into the elevator car and pushed the button for the first floor. “Hayach is my best friend,” he said, reaching up to pull the hair tie from his hair, letting all of it fall down to brush against his shoulders. (Leandro was willing to bet it felt like silk, and his fingers itched to run through it. Only the realization that Akira would probably break his hand before it got anywhere near his hair kept him still.) “He’s also one of the few people who knows that I’m not just a mechanic for the Deliverance. So yes. I talked to him about my mission. Which included you.”

“Mmmm.” Leandro leaned against the wall of the car, staring unabashedly as Akira worked to gather his hair back into a neat ponytail. He watched the play of muscles under the assassin’s shirt and along his arms appreciatively. Well, if he was going to be kidnapped by someone --- okay, rescued and whisked away to safety was a bit more accurate ---at least it was by someone who was easy on the eyes.

Then he frowned at something Akira had just said. “Wait. You’re telling me that _your own people_ don’t know that you’re, you know…” He waved his hands above his head. “A boogeyman? Assassin?” Was there a more polite term he could use? “ _The_ assassin?”

Akira shrugged as he finished wrapping the tie around his hair. “The less people who know about that means less chances of someone telling the Galra about me. The people who need to know do. And now you know, too.”

“Is this one of those situations where you’re going to have to kill me now that I know your secret identity?”

Akira looked him with a shocked expression. “Of course not! I told you, we don’t kill people.”

“I know, I know.” Leandro lifted his hands. “You’re all big damn heroes. Geez. I was just joking.”

Akira scowled at him before turning back to face the elevator doors, crossing his arms across his chest.

Neither of them spoke for the rest of the trip.

Growing up, Leandro had loved to watch movies. His sisters would make him watch sappy romance movies on their battered old holovid player while they would paint his nails or practice their makeup skills on him. His brothers would sneak him downstairs, long after their parents had gone to sleep so that he could watch the action movies that his mother has sternly told him he was too young to be watching. His favorites had always been the good versus evil stories, where the good guys came from nothing, fought against the odds, and beat the bad guys.

In the movies, the good guys were always the underdogs, fighting with broken weapons and rusty armor. Their headquarters were usually in an abandoned building with no heat or running water. They would have to spread their battle plans across broken board, and there was always a large pot of stew on an open fire that would be used to feed the entire army.

The Deliverance had obviously not watched the same movies as he had. The elevator doors opened into a large foyer that was richly appointed. There was quite a number of couches and chairs in one corner, all gathered around a large, state-of-the-art holovid screen. He saw several potted plants placed around the room, most of which looked real and not native to this planet. And the carpet looked plush, thick, and more expensive than anything he had ever owned in his life.

“Nice digs<” he said, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. His housing complex was run-down, had bars on all of the windows, and the lobby constantly smelled like stale piss. The furniture in this lobby alone could probably pay his rent for at least three months.

Akira started down a hallway off to the left of the lobby area. “The Deliverance has been here for several years. They’ve had plenty of time to spruce it up. The kitchen us this way.”

Leandro levered a scowl at the furniture but hurried after the other man without another word. The prospect of food was more than enough to make him keep the rest of his comments to himself.

They passed by several large, open rooms that Leandro tried to peer into, but Akira never slowed his pace. Even with his longer stride, Leandro had to almost jog in order to keep up with him. They walked for what had to be a solid five minutes when Akira made another left. Leandro found himself walking through rows of dining tables before passing through a set of double doors and into heaven.

Okay, it was just a kitchen, but it _smelled_ like heaven. Leandro inhaled deeply, taking in the lingering scents of bacon and cinnamon and other delicious things. _Stars, I could eat a whale right now._

“Hey, guys!” came that same cheerful voice that Leandro had heard through the earlier projection. “I’ve got some sandwiches here that I just made. I’ve got a few frozen leftovers, too. Any preference?”

Turning, Leandro saw the large man from the projection standing by an industrial-sized chill box. He had brown hair that was held back by a yellow headband, brown eyes, and a wide smile that stood out against his dark skin. In his hands, he held a plate piled high with sandwiches.

Leandro dove towards him, grabbing three of the sandwiches and eating half of one in a single bite. He let out a moan as the taste of peanut butter and grape jelly slid down his throat. It was the best thing he had ever tasted.

The dark-skinned man --- Hayach, Leandro assumed --- blinked at him in surprise before turning to Akira. “What did you do to him? I thought you were just going to talk! Here, let me get you something to drink before you choke.” He sat the plate down on the kitchen island and directed Leandro to the same stool that Akira had sat in earlier that morning. He then went to the chill box to retrieve a carafe of milk. He started to reach for a glass, thought better of it, then sat the whole carafe down on the island in front of Leandro, who picked it up and took a large gulp.

“I didn’t do anything to him.” Akira sounded distracted as he tapped at the device on his wrist yet again. “We didn’t even get to talk.” He waited for a moment, then a woman’s voice was suddenly floating through the room.

“Akira?” Her voice was airy and held a thick accent that Leandro couldn’t place. “Is everything all right?”

“I’m back at the Castle.” His voice held an edge to it. “The mission is complete.”

There was a pause, one that went on long enough that Leandro was able to devour another entire sandwich. “I… see.” The voice was hesitant. He noticed that there was no projected image this time, and he briefly wondered why that was. “Is he… Is he with you?”

“He is.”

Another long pause, followed by a heavy sigh. “I know you must be terribly angry with me right now, and I am so, so sorry. But I can explain everything. To both of you. If you’ll give me the chance.”

Akira didn’t respond right away. Leandro watched him as he licked the remains of his meal from his fingers. The other man’s face was set into a hard mask, lips pressed together, eyes more purple than gray as he stared at device. Finally, he said “We’re eating right now. Once we’re done, we’ll meet with you. I’m bringing Hayach and Hoshi with me.”

“I understand. I would invite Dante as well, if he is available. I’ll bring Curran. How long do you think it will take?”

Akira’s eyes shifted to Leandro, silently asking him the same question. Leandro lifted one sticky finger of his left hand, then splayed all five of his right.

“Give us fifteen minutes. That will allow us time to finish up here and for me to call Hoshi. Where should we meet?”

“What about the lounge? It’s comfortable, and we’ll have plenty of room to move around.”

_The lounge?_ Could that be the place they had passed through when they had stepped off the elevator? The one with the expensive furniture and plush carpet? That would work for Leandro. It was right by the elevator, and --- more than likely --- a stairwell. If he found himself in need of a hasty escape, he could hightail it down to the garage, steal whatever vehicle he wanted, and get as far away from the city as possible before the Galra had the chance to track him down.

“All right. We’ll see you then.” Akira cut off the communication before the woman could say anything else. Then he turned away from them and walked to the far side of the kitchen, already tapping at the device yet again.

“Woah,” came a low voice from Leandro’s left, causing him to jump. He had been so focused on his food and Akira’s converstation that he had totally forgotten that Hayach was there “He’s really upset, isn’t he?” I’ve never heard him talk to Alina like that. He practically worships her!”

Leandro took another drink of milk. “Is she the one who sent me the bomb?”

“Bomb?” Hayach’s brows came together in confusion. “What bomb?”

Leandro let out a noise of frustration. “Do you people seriously not check the news? It was the biggest headline on all of the tickers this morning.”

Brows still knitted together, the bigger man reached into one of the many pockets of his cargo shorts and pulled out a small, flat square of orange plastic. His communicator. Leandro watched as he tapped at it for a moment before swiping his finger upwards across the screen, causing whatever it was he was looking at to hover in the air in front of him. Leandro recognized the logos of several of the major news tickers.

It took only a moment of reading before Hayach let out a string of curses. ‘This was you? ” he asked Leandro, voice tight.

“This was _you,”_ he shot back. “The Deliverance, I mean. I’m just the poor idiot that got conned into doing your dirty work.”

Hayach turned back to the image in front of him, a look of pure confusion on his face. “Kira?” he called out, his voice tinged with hesitation. “Did you know about this?”

The third member of their trio came to stand by Hayach so that he too could read what was on the screen. As he did so, his face became even harder and a muscle in his jaw began to tick.

“Alina said she could explain,” he said, his voice barely more than a growl. His eyes moved to Leandro. “As soon as you’re finished, we’ll go meet her. Let’s see what she has to say.”

Leandro was feeling much more energized as they made their way back down the hall. He was still tired, but after his brief nap and five sandwiches, he was starting to feel somewhat human again.

None of them spoke during the walk, and Leandro could feel the tension rolling off of the other two men. Whoever this Alina person was, she had hurt them. If he hadn’t been an unwitting pawn in whatever scheme this was he might have felt sorry for them.

Much to Leandro’s delight, he had been correct in his assumption about the lounge. As they returned to the plush entry area, his eyes shot back to the elevator doors. He quickly spotted a door just off to the left of the elevator that he was willing to bet led to a stairwell. _Bingo._

There was already a small group of people gathered at the seating area, all standing, all looking anxious. The first one that Leandro noticed was an older, taller version of Akira. His hair was short, and he was broad where the other man was lean, but he had the same odd eyes, the same refined nose (his wasn’t broken, but did have a scar across it), and the same enviable cheekbones. This, Leandro deduced, must be Akira’s brother, as he was far too young to be his father.

The second person he noticed was a woman who looked no older than he. Her skin was a warm brown, not as dark as Hayach’s, and not as light as his. She had long, white hair that had been pleated into several tiny braids with dark-colored beads woven throughout. Her eyes were also an odd color: a burnished green that shone almost jewel-like, and her pupils were vertical instead of round. But it was the markings _under_ her eyes that held his attention.

“You’re an Altean!” he blurted out, his eyes wide.

All four of them --- The Altean, Akira’s brother, and two other men --- stopped whatever they were doing and turned to look at him. He found himself suddenly wishing that the floor would open up and swallow him as his face flamed. _Way to play it cool, Leo._

“Akira,” the female said, and Leandro realized that she was the woman Akira had been speaking to in the kitchen, that odd accent turning her voice musical. “Would you care to introduce us?”

“Um… Well, this is Leandro Sanchez. Leandro, you’ve already met Hayach Garrett, one of our engineers. This is our leader, Alina, and her advisor, Curran. This is my brother, Hoshi. He’s the general for the military arm of the Deliverance. And this is Dante, our chief medical officer, and Hoshi’s husband.”

Curran, a tall, thin man who also bore the Altean markings, bowed deeply from the waist. “It truly is an honor to meet you, sir.”

“Yes.” Alina sounded breathless, and her jewel-toned eyes were wide. “We have been eagerly awaiting the chance to get to meet you. Though I wish the circumstances could have been better.”

“And just what _are_ the circumstances of this meeting?” That was Hoshi, his voice angry as he crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Alina, please tell me that you did _not_ give my brother a bomb without telling him what it was.”

A look of pain fluttered across her face before she turned to face the brothers. “You know I would _never_ willingly put _any_ of my people in danger.” Her voice was quiet. “You know I see Akira as my own brother. I have watched him grow from a child into a man, and I would rather stab myself in the heart than do anything that would purposefully bring him harm.” She turned back to Leandro. “The same goes for you as well. You were never in any danger.”

“But there _was_ a bomb,” Hayach interjected. “It was all over the news. We saw it.”

“Yes, there was. But neither Akira nor Leandro ever touched it. The bomb had already been placed in the building by one of our spies. The package contained the detonator. A detonator, I might add, that could only be triggered remotely.”

Silence fell over the group as they all digested this bit of information. Then, in a tight voice, Akira said “Then why all this fanfare? If you already had a spy there, then why have Leandro deliver the detonator? And why did you ask _me_ to take it to him? There are plenty of Deliverance members who could have just as easily ran your little errand.”

“I told you that this was a mission that was vitally important for the Deliverance, and I meant it. I needed someone that I could trust to get the job done with no problems.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking his brother. “And you knew I wouldn’t question an order.”

There was a heavy pause as everyone stared at Alina, waiting. Leandro watched as a myriad of emotions crossed her face, none of which he could name.

Finally, she let out a tired sigh, her shoulders slumping. “Yes,” she said, reaching up to rub her forehead. “That… was taken into consideration.”

Akira reacted as though he had been physically struck. He rocked back on his heels, face going white, eyes widening in shock and disbelief. But it only took him a moment to recover, his lips peeling back into a snarl. “I assure you that I won’t be making _that_ mistake again,” he spat out before turning and starting to walk away.

“Akira, wait!” Alina took a step forward, one hand outstretched, a pleading note in her voice. “You promised to give me a chance to explain, remember? Please. Just… listen to what I have to say, okay?” She bit her lip. “I know… I know I’ve betrayed your trust. I knew when I asked you do this for me that it would hurt. But I had my reasons. And if there had been any other way, I wouldn’t have done this. I want you to understand that much, at least.”

Akira stopped, but did not turn around. His hands were balled into fists, and his shoulders were tight. For a moment, Leandro thought that he was going to ignore Alina’s plea and actually walk away. But he finally turned around and stomped back to his brother’s side. His arms went back across his chest and his mouth was a thin, angry line.

Alina’s face was sad, but she managed a small smile and a nod to Akira. Then she turned to fully face Leandro. “Mr. Sanchez, please forgive the deception. But I’m afraid desperate times call for desperate measures. You’ve refused all of our previous attempts to recruit you.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Did it ever cross your mind that maybe it was because I wasn’t interested?”

She spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “We _need_ you, Leandro. Do you have any idea what you mean to the people of this planet? To _everyone_ who opposes the Galra? The Deliverance would _easily_ triple it’s numbers if people knew you were one of us. More members means a better chance to defeat the Galra once and for all. Isn’t that what you want?”

He stared at her, trying to comprehend what she had just said. “Are you saying” --- his words came out slowly ---“that you have wrecked the life that I have worked so hard to build just so I can be your fucking _poster boy?”_

Alina’s eyes narrowed. “We are at war with the most powerful empire in the universe. Sacrifices must be made if we are to be victorious.”

“Don’t you think I’ve already sacrificed enough for this war? I lost my entire family.”

Something sparked in the Altean’s eyes, something bright and hot. “And _I_ lost my entire _planet!”_ she snarled, her face twisting into something ugly and her hands curling into fists. “We know, more than anyone, what the Galra are capable of, what they are willing to do. We have obligations to help make sure that what happened to us doesn’t happen to anyone else. Don’t let your family’s sacrifice be in vain.”

That was taking it too far.

“My family is none of your _fucking_ business!” he shouted back at her. “They fought the Galra for _me,_ so that I could be free. The Galra killed them _because of me,_ because they wanted me to live. And I have spent the last six years trying to do exactly what they wanted me to do: live free. But now you’ve gone and _ruined everything.”_ He flung his arms out. “It’s a capital offense to kill a Galra, even in self-defense. And I am now responsible for the death of _three._ They will spare no effort to hunt me down. And, when they find me and realize just who I am, they won’t kill me. Oh, no. They killed my family as a warning. They’ll use me as an _example._ If I’m lucky, they’ll just make me a slave again. But if I’m not --- and I doubt I would be --- I’ll be indoctrinated.” He gave her a mocking slaute. “Congratulations. It seems you have me well and truly fucked.”

No one spoke after that, the only sound filling the room that of Leandro’s ragged breathing. He and Alina stared each other down, like enemy combatants in a war that only they could fight.

Alina was the one who relented first. She offered him a curt nod before straightening, her back going stiff, her chin lifting. “It doesn’t matter now. The Galra, as you said, will hunt you down. If you want to avoid capture, you have no choice but to help us.”

He snorted at that. “Sorry to disappoint you, princess, but there’s always a choice.” He turned away from her. “Yo, Kira. Do you have the second half of my payment? Or was that a lie, too?”

Grim-faced, Akira reached into his back pocket and pulled out a thick envelope similar to the one that he had given Leandro yesterday. (Stars, had that only been yesterday?) He opened it to make sure it was actually fully of credits (it was) before touching it to his temple in a salute. “It really was nice to meet you, Fly Boy. Too bad you didn’t give me your number.”

Then he moved past Akira and towards the stairwell door.

“Leandro, _please!”_ Alina’s voice had turned desperate. “The Galra have been bringing in massive amounts of quintessence into the city, all within the past few weeks. They are planning something big. There is _nowhere_ safe for you to go. You _need_ us!”

He simply raised his middle finger and threw a cheerful “fuck you” over his shoulder in reply without missing a step.

Just as he was about to reach the stairwell door it flew open with a loud _bang,_ and a small, blurry figure darted out. In their hands was a very large, very ugly looking gun, which they shoved into Leandro’s face.

_“Don’t move!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This has been my favorite chapter to write so far! I hope you all enjoyed it as well! As always, please feel free to leave constructive criticism and other helpful feedback!


	5. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leandro Sanchez just wants to be left alone to live a life of freedom. But all that changes when a mysterious young man comes to him for a job.
> 
> Akira Kogane has dedicated his life to fighting the Galra as a soldier of the Delieverance. When he is asked to contact a man named Leandro to make a delivery, he does so without question.
> 
> Neither of them know that this meeting while turn both of their worlds upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to send me suggestions! I'm an absolute panster when it comes to writing, and tend to just let the story write itself. So the plot in my head tends to fluctuate a lot. :) 
> 
> As always, I hope you all enjoy!

Leandro slowly lifted his hands to show that he was unarmed as her stared down the very, very long barrel of the gun. The person on the other end of it was small, and had to squint up the sight at him. A pair of glasses sat on their nose, and the eyes behind them were a familiar amber color.

He felt his shoulders drop in relief, and a wide grin stretched across his face. “Hey, Pet”, he called out lazily. “Fancy meeting you here. And with my sniper rifle, no less. What the hell did you bring _that_ one for? It’s bigger than you are!”

She blinked at him, her stern expression turning into one of confusion. “Leo?” The gun barrel dipped slightly. “What are you --- ”

“Who are you?” came a sharp voice from Leandro’s left. “And how did you get in here?”

Turning, Leandro saw that Akira had come to stand next to him, his body angled in a way that he was in between the two of them. In his right hand was a very wicked-looking dagger.

Leandro lowered his hands all the way down as one of his eyebrows went up. “Dude. She has a gun that’s twice as big as she is, and is close enough to you that she can’t miss. But you’re going to try and defend me with that pig-sticker?” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m flattered, honestly, but I --- _Woah!”_

He couldn’t help but jump as the dagger pulsed a bright white before growing into a sword. An actual _sword._

Akira ignored him, his attention entirely focused on the threat before him. “You’re Leandro’s assistant,” he said. “I saw you at the shop yesterday.”

Petra snarled, swinging the barrel of the gun to point directly at Akira’s heart. “I’m his _friend._ And I am here to take him home.”

Leandro moved to stand behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder as he gave a knife-sharp grin to the other man. “You heard the lady. We’re leaving.”

Akira’s eyes narrowed, and he shifted his grip on his sword. Leandro, in turn, tightened his grip on Petra’s shoulder. If the assassin still just held a dagger, he wouldn’t be worried about him hurting her. But Akira now had enough reach that he could hurt Petra before she should pull the trigger. “Easy there, Samurai. Just let us go, okay?”

That purple gaze lifted to meet his. “Please,” Leandro said in a soft voice, letting a note of pleading enter it “I just want to go home.”

He saw it the moment that Akira’s eyes softened, and he felt himself let out a whoosh of breath. This was it. They were going to be free.

“Wait.”

Petra jumped at the sound of Alina’s voice and started to turn, but Leandro tightened his grip on her shoulder once again, keeping her in place. He never took his eyes off of Akira. He knew the other man was furious at his leader, but a soldier was a soldier. If Alina asked him to stop them from leaving, there was a good chance he would do so, even if he didn’t want to. And, with his sword, he was a far more dangerous threat to them than Alina. He needed to keep Petra’s gun pointed at the assassin for the time being.

He needn’t have worried. There was another pop of light, and Akira’s sword returned to being a dagger. He tucked it into a sheath strapped to the back of his waist before taking two steps back.

Leandro offered him a nod of thanks before turning to Alina. He loosened his hold on his partner’s shoulder, but he didn’t let go completely. Just because the Altean didn’t have a weapon pointing at them didn’t mean she wasn’t a threat.

The leader of the Deliverance had moved to stand a few feet away from the pair, smiling warmly down at Petra. “You _must_ be Petra Gunn,” she said. “We’d heard rumors that you had partnered with Leandro, but we never have been able to find out for sure. You are a very hard woman to track down.”

Petra raised the gun to point it at the other woman. “Who are you?” she asked sharply. “And how do you know my name?”

The other woman opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Hayach was suddenly standing right in front of them, eyes wide, hands up to his face. “Are you really Petra Gunn?” he asked breathlessly, seeming oblivious to the gun that was pressed into his stomach. “ _The_ Petra Gunn? The same Petra Gunn who managed to hack the Galra’s most complicated communication system in less than thirty minutes?”

“Um…” She blinked up at him for a moment, then turned to Leandro, who just shrugged. After another moment, she turned back to Hayach and said “Yes?”

This caused the big man to let out a squeal that Leandro remembered his sister’s making whenever they saw a cute boy before he started doing a strange, hopping dance. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. I am _such_ a fan of your work! I mean, _everyone_ in Engineering really admires you, but I am a _fan!_ That virus that you uploaded to make all the neon lights at the Castillo turn that lovely shade of puke green? That was beautiful, an absolute piece of art. Every time the Galra switch to a new frequency I race to try and hack it before you do. I’ve never been able to beat you, of course. Do you mind if I shake your hand? My friends in Engineering are _never_ going to believe that I met you!”

Petra just gawked at him as he thrust out one of his hands, her eyes wide behind her glasses. The gun in her hands was all but forgotten, the tip of it resting against the floor. “I…. Er…. Sure?” It was, Leandro thought, the first time he had ever seen her flustered.

She slowly reached out, her tiny hand all but disappearing in his massive paw. He shook it enthusiastically, nearly lifting her off of the ground. “Thank you so much!” he gushed. “This is _such_ an honor! I can’t wait to ---”

“Hayach.” Alina’s voice was firm, but there was a current of amusement in it. “I’m sure our guest is quite flattered by your enthusiasm, but won’t you give the poor girl a chance to catch her breath?”

Hayach looked to his leader, then back to Petra, who still looked a bit shell-shocked. “ _Oh!”_ he said, quickly dropping her hand and taking a step back. “i-I’m so sorry, Miss Gunn,” he stammered, his skin growing even darker as he flushed. “I didn’t mean to --- Ah, that is ---” He pressed his lips together before he could babble any further.

“No, no,” Petra said quickly. “It’s fine, really. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to know my name, much less someone who knows what I do.” She gave him a bright smile as she adjusted her glasses. “Maybe we can talk more after all of this is sorted out, yeah?”

Hayach’s face brightened, and he nodded happily. “Yeah. That would be great! Thanks!”

Petra’s smile widened briefly, but as she turned back to Alina, her face settled into a mask of cool disinterest. “Now. You were telling me how you knew who I was?”

The other woman stared at her for a long moment. Then, in a quiet voice, she said “Because you look so much like your father.”

The effect of her words on Petra was equivalent to a bullet, sending the younger woman reeling backwards. The gun fell to the floor with a clatter as she took in a sharp breath of air. She stared back at Alina with wide eyes. “You know my father?” Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.

“And your brother, though not as well. I often consulted with Dr. Gunn on all things relating to technology. I even tried to recruit him a few times, but he always turned me down. Said his own work was too important.”

Petra swayed a little, and the look on her face was so hopeful that it hurt Leandro to look at. “Do you…” She stopped to lick her lips. “Do you know where he is?”

“I know that he is alive.” Alina’s tone was gentle. “I’m not sure where he is, but we’re working on that as we speak.” She held out a hand. “Would you like to see him?”

She stepped forward automatically, all of her usual caution forgotten in the excitement of a new lead. Leandro watched her go, feeling something twist inside of him. He leaned down and retrieved the fallen weapon, trying to quash the ugly feelings that were starting to creep into him.

Petra had been searching for her lost father and brother for the past six years, Leandro knew. That search was what led her to finding him. And though she had never given up, he knew that the leads had been few and far between. He knew that it frustrated her, that she couldn’t understand how they both had somehow disappeared without leaving a clue behind.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to find them. Hell, he would go to the ends of the universe to find them if that’s what it took. He knew, better than most, just how important family was. It was just that, with leads becoming rarer as the years went on, he had started to think that they might never be found. Which meant that he would always have Petra with him. Just the two of them standing against the world.

If she found her family, of course she would want to be with them. Leandro couldn’t blame her for that. But Petra was all he had. If they found the missing Gunn men, and if they decided to leave the planet---

He would be alone. Truly and completely alone.

He gave his head a vigorous shake, trying to dislodge the thought. _Not now, Sanchez. One problem at a time._

So he folded the gun --- the stock folded to one side of the body, the barrel to the other --- and followed the two women back to the seating area.

Curran was already tapping at the hooved screen as the others gathered around it. No one, Leandro noticed, was sitting down. “As soon as I heard that Dr. Gunn had disappeared --- along with his entire research team --- I immediately started looking for him. The Deliverance is fortunate to have many resources at its disposal, and we have members spread out all over the planet. We would hear whispers of rumors, get tips on sightings, but nothing concrete. Nothing we could _act_ on. But then, five months ago, we received this footage from an anonymous source. We’ve checked and double-checked its authenticity and can find no evidence of tampering. Watch.”

The holovid sparked to life, showing a large room with several people roaming around. The image was done in shades of gray, and the quality was poor. _Security feed,_ Leandro thought.

“We went through and enhanced it, frame by frame, looking for anything that might help us. And we scanned each individual that came on the camera. That’s how we found him.”

The image on the screen zoomed in on the face of one of the individuals, slowly reworking itself, coming in to focus and showing ---

“ _Dad!”_ Petra took an involuntary step forward, her hand stretched out towards the screen.

Leandro had never met Dr. Silas Gunn, though Petra had shown him several photos. But even if he had never seen the man before there could be no doubt that he was related to Petra. He looked tired, his cheeks gaunt. But his eyes --- the same color of amber, peering out from behind almost identical glasses as his daughter --- were bright. He was well-groomed and well-dressed, including an immaculate white lab coat. Wherever he was, he was at least being well-cared for.

Petra fell to her knees, her eyes glued to the screen as tears started to fill them. “Dad,” she whispered. “You’re…. He’s alive.”

“We’ve scanned the other individuals in the footage as well, and ran them through multiple missing persons databases” Alina said, her eyes also on the enhanced image of Silas Gunn. “They all seem to be scientists of some sort, some of whom were reported missing a decade ago. It looks like the Galra have been kidnapping scientists over the years, and have put them all together somewhere. We just don’t know where they are. But we _will_ find them.”

Leandro moved to crouch down next to his friend, putting a supportive arm around her shoulders. “We’ll find him, Pet,” he said gently. “We know he’s alive. We’ll find him, no matter how long it takes, no matter _what_ it takes. We’ll find him. I swear it.”

She leaned into him with a sniffle. “But… What about Earth? You wanted to go back, to go to Cuba.”

He chuckled as he ran a hand over her hair. “You’re my family, Pet. My home. You mean more to me than anything else in the entire universe. Finding your father is far more important to me than going back to a place that holds nothing but memories.” He gave her a smile. “Besides, after everything you have done for me, it’s the least I can do for you.”

She turned to him the and, with a sob, threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Leo,” she managed to choke out, burying her face into the side of his neck. “I love you.”

He bugged her back tightly, hiding his face in her hair. “I love you, too,” he replied. “Everything is going to be okay. You’ll see.”

“And we can help,” Alina said from above them. “We have people and resources that you can’t even begin to imagine. They will all be available to aid you in your search.” She paused. “We just ask that you help us right now. Help us figure out what the Galra are planning, and help us stop them. Once this has been done we can turn all of our attention towards finding your family.”

Leandro’s head snapped up at that, his eyes narrowing into a glare as they met the Altean’s. “You really are a cold-hearted bitch, aren’t you?” he said in a disgusted tone, not bothering to keep his voice low. “You’re really going to force me to join your little group in order to help Petra find her family? This is the first lead she has had in years. The first time that she has _seen_ him, the first time she has had confirmation that he is even alive. You said you have the resources and the manpower, but you won’t let her use them unless we agree to help you first?”

Petra lifted her face from his neck. “Leo? Wha—”

Alina’s emerald gaze was steady. “I am not withholding anything from her. The Deliverance is here to help anyone we can in any _way_ we can. She will have full access to all of our files and records. But, right now, most of those same resources are currently tied up in the immediate threat. The quicker we take care of this problem, the quicker we can focus more of our efforts on locating Dr. Gunn and his son.” Her eyes narrowed. “Think of how much faster it could go if _both_ of you agreed to join us.”

Petra pulled away so that she could look up at him, eyes full of confusion as they searched his face. “What is she talking about?”

He lifted an eyebrow at the other woman. “Do you want to tell her? Or shall I?”

Alina pressed her lips tightly together and did not respond.

Leandro kept his eyes on Alina, but tilted his head so that he could speak to Petra. “This here is Alina, the leader of our merry band of suicidal idiots. She is the one who planned that little explosion yesterday. And she did it because she wants to do a recruitment drive and thinks that all of these people will flock to her banner if they know the sole-surviving Sanchez is endorsing her. You see, since I had turned her down twice before --- very politely, I might add --- she decided to make it so that I am the Galra’s most-wanted man and Alina is the only one that can keep me safe.”

Petra’s eyes had been growing bigger and bigger during his explanation, and now she whipped her head around to face the other woman. “ _What?”_

Once again, Alina lifted her chin. “I did what needed to be done. And I would do it again in a a heartbeat.”

Petra stared at her for a long moment, her face turning completely white before turning back to him. Her eyes were still wide, and were now full of anguish. “Leo…” His name came out in a broken whisper.

He didn’t look at her, but gave her another tight hug before letting her go. “I won’t speak for Petra,” he said slowly, rising to his feet. If he was going to be negotiating, he didn’t want his opponent standing over him. “But I’m willing to make a deal.”

Alina inclined her head. “Name your terms.”

Petra jumped up and tugged at Leandro’s arm. “No! We can still leave! We ---“

“I’ll help you with whatever problem it is you think you have, though, I have to tell you, I don’t know what help I can be beyond poster boy. Once that is over, we find Petra’s father. And her brother. Once that has happened, both she and I will be free to do whatever we wish. And you will _never_ contact us again.” His gaze hardened. “ _Never.”_

There was a collective inhale as everyone’s eyes swung to Alina, waiting for her reply.

She looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment before giving him a nod. “I believe these terms are acceptable.” She turned to her advisor. “Curran, would you mind drafting a contract for us to sign? I have a feeling that Mr. Sanchez would prefer to have this in writing.”

He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, “Damn right, I do.”

“Leo, stop. _Please.”_ Petra was crying again, her arms wrapped around his waist “I won’t let you do this. I want you to be _free._ Don’t help them. We can look for them on our own.”

“Hey.” He turned and leaned down to cup her face in his hands. Looking at her wide eyes and tear-streaked face, he was sharply reminded of just how young she was. Far too young to be trying to take care of him. “Let me do this, yeah? I owe you _everything._ And, even if I didn’t, I would do it anyways.” He leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers. “You’ve been taking care of me for the past six years when you didn’t have to. Now it’s my turn.”

She sniffed, reaching up to to cover his hands with hers. “You’re such an idiot, Leandro Sanchez.” She squeezed his hands and gave him a tiny smile. “But you’re _my_ idiot. And I’m not about to let you do this without me. _Someone_ has to watch your back.”

His smile bloomed into a grin. “I wouldn’t want anyone else.” Then he stood and turned to face Alina. “All right. Looks like you got a two-for-one deal. Now what?”

They watched as a look of utter relief crossed the Altean woman’s face. “Thank you,” she breathed. “Thank you so much. I – I promise I’ll make it worth it. What do you need first?”

“Sleep,” Leandro said without hesitation. “At least, that what’s what _I_ need. And a lot of it.”

“Of course. There is an apartment that has already been prepared for you. And it’s a two-bedroom, so you and Miss Gun can share, if you’d like. Akira? Would you be so kind?”

It wasn’t Akira’s voice that answered, but his brother’s. “He’s not here. Perhaps Dante could show them the way?”

“Oh.” Alina’s expression melted into one of guilt. “Yes. Of course. Dante? Could you show them to the apartment? It’s number 128.”

“I would be happy to.” The man with sandy hair and glasses --- Hoshi’s husband, Leandro remembered Akira saying --- turned to them and offered a warm smile that reached his eyes. “Come on. Let’s go get some rest, yeah?”

Leandro nodded, and he and Petra followed the older man to the elevator. He looked around for Akira, but the other man was nowhere to be found. “Where did Akira go?”

Dante sighed as he pushed the button for the twelfth floor. “I’m not sure. I was so focused on what Alina was saying that I never noticed him leave.”

“Where does he live?” Leandro didn’t know why he was asking about the assassin, but the questions just kept falling from his lips before he could stop them.

“He shares an apartment with Hoshi and I.” Dante looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “We’re actually just down the hall from where you will be staying.”

After a brief, silent ride, the elevator doors opened onto a wide hallway. Dante gestured them forward. “You two will get the official tour later, but I just wanted to make you aware of the basics. This building is known as the Castle. Our command center and most of the living quarters are here. There’s a kitchen and dining hall, a training area, and a medical wing.” He gestured to a door marked 121. “This is our apartment. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come and get us.”

“How will we get in?” Petra asked. Pointing to the black access panels by the doors.

“You’ll be given access chips later. Right now, the access panel isn’t active. But you’ll be able to lock the door from the inside.” He stopped by another door. “Here we are.” He waved at the door, and it slid open with a quiet hiss.

Leandro took a step towards the door, but stopped when Dante touched his shoulder. “Leandro?” he said in a low voice. “I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but I hope you will at least hear what I have to say.”

He was so tired, and the opportunity to finally get some sleep was _right there,_ but he found himself turning to face the other man anyways.

Dante looked troubled. “Akira is a good man,” he started. “He has a big heart. _Too_ big, sometimes. He tries to hide it, but he feels things so deeply. This will devastate him. If he had known what was going to happen today, what it was going to cost you, he never would have agreed to it. I don’t want him to miss an opportunity to get to know you because of a misplaced idea you may have of him. So, please. Give him another chance?”

Leandro studied him, thinking. He had a hard time imagining that an assassin as well known at The Mechanic would have a depth of _feeling,_ but this guy seemed sincere. And he could clearly remember the way Akira’s eyes had softened before he had stepped back to let them leave. 

Besides, Leandro would be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued by the dark-haired man. So he nodded. “Sure. I’ll be willing to give him a shot.”

Dante let out a sigh of relief before running a hand through his hair. “Thank you so much. Hoshi and I both really appreciate this. And I’m sure Akira will as well, though it may take him some time to warm up to you.” He straightened and offered Leandro a smile and a nod. “Well, I’ll leave you to your rest, then.”

Then he was walking away, and Leandro was finally able to go into the apartment, the door _wooshing_ softly shut behind him.

Akira hadn’t wanted to see what the outcome of the confrontation between Alina and Leandro would be. He couldn’t have. Watching Leandro and Petra cling to one another, seeing the hard look in Leandro’s eyes as he had bargained away his own freedom in order to find his friend’s family, had made him feels sick. So, while everyone else was fixated on the scene in front of them, he had managed to slip quietly into the stairwell and go down to the garage.

He truly loved his job. He liked that he got to work alone, and there was something about taking something that was broken and making it work again that was _satisfying_. (Hoshi liked to try to say there was a metaphor in there somewhere) Plus, all of the work was done by his hands. No Altean magic, no clever tech wizardry. Just his hands.

And he was _good_ at it. So much so that he had earned a reputation even outside of the Deliverance. Yes, he was quite aware that he had had been given the moniker of Moody Mechanic , but that didn’t stop the residents of the Outskirts from contacting him when they had a job no one else could o. He took a lot of pride in that.

Having that reputation meant that he often received odd requests. For example, one of the better-off smugglers in the area had paid a fortune to have an old Mustang shipped in from Earth. The thing was old --- _really ­_ old --- mostly rust, and beaten all to hell. But the smuggler loved the car, and was willing to pay Akira another small fortune to restore it.

He went to it now, pulling its protective cover off to reveal a skeleton of steel. It had taken him a month to rebuild the frame of the car, painstakingly recreating it from the rusted remains of the original. He had carefully removed the body and sat it to the side until he could get enough steel to build a new body. That meant that, today, he got to work on the parts that made the car go.

Akira turned on the music player app on his comm and sat it on his desk before moving to the workbench where the guts of the Mustang were spread out. He grabbed his industrial-sized can of grease and his tool box and moved to the transmission. The bolts were covered in decades of rust, but it was nothing that some good, old-fashioned elbow grease couldn’t solve.

He soon lost himself in the work, lost track of time as he fought with the bolts holding the transmission cover in place. There had to be at least fifty years’ worth of rust on them, and they weren’t willing to give up without a fight. So Akira greased it, pulled at it, and cursed at it, until, at last, the first bolt came free. He grinned triumphantly, standing up and running the back of his hand across his sweaty brow. It might only be one of many, but a victory was a victory.

“Need a hand?”

Akira jumped at the sound of the unexpected voice. He hadn’t even noticed that the music had stopped, focused totally on the task at hand. Turning, he saw his brother leaning against his desk, arms crossed, a grin on his face. “I might,” he replied, waving his wrench at the older man.. “These bolts are older than you are, and stuck tight. That bionic arm of yours might be able to help me with that.”

Hoshi chuckled as he stepped forward. “It must be bad if you’re asking for help.”

Akira shrugged. “I’m not so stubborn as to pass up on help when I know it’s someone who is more suited to the job than I am.”

The elder Kogane snorted as he took the proffered wrench. “We both know that’s a lie. You never ask for help until you’re half past dead.”

“Well, consider this me turning over a new leaf.”

Hoshi looked down at the dirty transmission, but he wasn’t seeing it, his eyes unfocused. “Look, Kira. About what happened earlier ---“

“Oh, no.” Akira was already shaking his head. “You know I don’t bring that shit down here. So we’re not going to talk about it.”

His brother sighed, lifting those eyes that were identical to his own to look at him. “We _need_ to talk about it, Kira.”

“No. we don’t. What happened happened, and there is nothing anyone can do to change it. So just drop it.”

“But it wasn’t your fault, and ---“

Akira let out a snarl and yanked the wrench back out of his brother’s hand. “I _told_ you that I don’t want to talk about it! Now, if you are not going to help me, then get out. I have work to do.” He turned back to the transmission, spraying the next bolt with the grease and placing the wrench around it.

Hoshi placed his human hand onto his shoulder. ‘Kira…”

He shook it off. “Go away, Hoshi.”

Hoshi let out a noise of frustration. “ _Akira Kogane!_ ” His voice was sharp, and Akira felt himself freeze. His brother _never_ used his full name --- not in that tone of voice --- unless something was really bad. Or he was in deep trouble. So he stood and slowly turned to face the other man, bracing himself for whatever was coming.

Hoshi didn’t look mad. He looked…. Pained. Tired. _Old._ And, with a start, Akira realized that he was probably the main reason for that look. “I know you like the world to think that you are this hard badass that nothing can touch. But I’m your brother. I know that’s not the case. And, right now, I know that you are hurting. That you feel betrayed by Alina, and that you feel responsible for Leandro’s current predicament. So we _are_ going to talk about this. Even if I have to stand here all day annoying you until you talk, this discussion is happening.”

Akira grunted in annoyance as he swept his hair out of his eyes. He knew he might as well give in. For all his talk, Hoshi was just as stubborn as he was. His brother wouldn’t leave until he got what he wanted. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

‘Tell me what happened.”

So he did, refusing to meet the other man’s eyes as he relayed the events of that morning. “He knew who I was, Hoshi. He’d somehow guessed that I was the Mechanic after we met yesterday. And he asked me if I hadn’t thought it odd that the leader of the Deliverance would ask an assassin to set up a package delivery. I _did_ think it was strange. But I didn’t ask any questions. Because I am a good little soldier.”

“Akira…”

“Then he said ---“ He turned to the transmission and gave the wrench a vicious yank. “He asked me if I had even bothered to learn the name of the person whose life he was running.” His voice had turned bitter, but he didn’t bother to hide it. “And I didn’t. I _always_ do research before a mission. You know that. But this time, I didn’t. If I had known, if I had bothered to _learn,_ I never would have gone.” Another yank. “He showed me his slave mark, Hoshi. Can you imagine what that must have been like? And I’ve condemned him to go back to that. _If_ he’s lucky.” Another yank. This time, the bolt moved a fraction of an inch. “He’s going to hate me now. And I don’t blame him.”

That, he thought unhappily, was the worst part of this entire SNAFU. When he had first left this morning, he had been so _hopeful._ He had met someone new, someone he thought was attractive, someone who had shown interest in _him._ He had decided to step out of his comfort zone and actually show interest _back._ And maybe --- _maybe_ \--- something would happen between them.

And now…

Akira would never forgive himself for what he had done, even if he had been an unwilling participant, and he doubted that Leandro would, either. Which meant that that small, fragile hope he had left with this morning was irrevocably gone. And it made him… sad.

When he finally looked back up, his brother was looking at him with a strange expression on his face, one that was so rare that Akira didn’t recognize it right away. But, when he did, he felt a sharp spike of anger pierce his chest, and his vision went red.

“Don’t you _dare_ give me your pity, Hoshi,” he spat out. “I don’t want it, nor do I deserve it. I made the choice to not do what I thought was right, and now I have to deal with the consequences of my actions. That was the lesson you always taught me, remember? You do the action, you deal with the consequences. So I will. Now, I have work to do.”

Without waiting for a response, he stalked over to his comm and mashed the play button on his music player once more, filling the garage with the sounds of heavy, angry music. Ignoring his brother completely, he went back to the transmission and the stubborn bolts. 

Hoshi watched him, fists clenched, wishing there was something he could do to make this right. To somehow take the weight of this from his brother’s shoulders. But he knew Akira better than he knew himself. The younger Kogane felt too much, and too deeply. There would be no reasoning with him, not while he was like this.

So he turned, and, with a heavy sigh and even heavier heart, left his brother to deal with his anger on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As always, comments and constructive criticism are more than welcome!


	6. The Rise of Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leandro Sanchez just wants to be left alone to live a life of freedom. But all that changes when a mysterious young man comes to him for a job.
> 
> Akira Kogane has dedicated his life to fighting the Galra as a soldier of the Delieverance. When he is asked to contact a man named Leandro to make a delivery, he does so without question.
> 
> Neither of them know that this meeting while turn both of their worlds upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has read this! We're now at over 300 hits! Thank you for giving this story a chance, and for going on this wild journey with me. It's been such an honor to get to share Leo and Kira's story with you all, and I appreciate each and every one of you. :)

When Leandro next awoke, he was in darkness.

He became fully awake almost instantly., eyes darting around as he tried to figure out where he was before panic could set in. He wasn’t in his bedroom, he knew. He kept a string of small, twinkling lights (his niece had called them fairy lights, and she had always loved them) on at all times so that his room was never in total darkness. But, if he wasn’t at home, where was he?

Just as his heart rate started to kick up, he saw a thin strip of light coming from somewhere off to his right, and his body sagged in relief. Someone had left a door cracked open. He wasn’t trapped in the darkness after all.

He let out a groan as he reached up to rub at his face with both of his hands. Stars, but he hated this… this _weakness._ This overwhelming fear that came over him at the mere thought of being stuck in a dark place. He had done everything he could think of to cure himself with no luck. Some hurts, he was slowly coming to realize, would be haunting him for the rest of his life.

Now that the near-panic was fading away, he realized that he must be in his new apartment at the Deliverance’s headquarters. He remembered talking to Dante outside, then walking through the door… but nothing after that. He had no idea how he had gotten into bed. Or --- as he was coming to be more aware of himself --- taking off everything but his pants.

Now that the sleep and confusion were wearing off, Leandro was becoming acutely aware of an urgent need from his bladder. Spying an open door at the other end of the room, he shuffled through it to find a large, luxurious bathroom. After relieving himself (stars, but that was the longest piss he had ever taken), he went to the sink and finally got a look at himself in the mirror.

He couldn’t help but let out a groan as he caught sight of his reflection. He hadn’t shaved in at least a day, and prickly stubble covered his chin. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin had faded from its normal golden color to a sickly yellowish tone. The stress and lack of sleep were wreaking havoc on his skin. Plus, he hadn’t been able to do his daily skincare routine.

Feeling awake and alert, Leandro decided to explore his new surroundings. The bathroom was large and by far the nicest one he had ever used, with a wide, tiled shower and sperate bathtub. The bedroom was also large, with a bed big enough to easily hold three or four people. There was also a nightstand, desk, and large dresser. When he opened another door, he found a walk-in closet that was nearly the six=ze of his old bedroom. Seeing it empty remind him that he would have to see about getting his things brought over from his old apartment.

Wandering out of his bedroom, he walked into what he assumed was the living area. Except that this room was full of _stuff._ There were boxes everywhere, some stacked three high. Against one stack, he saw an old, battered guitar case that he immediately recognized as his. In the corner was the large, flowering plant that Petra had given him as a housewarming gift (and that he had, somehow miraculously, managed to keep alive). And, in the middle of it all, sat Petra herself, furiously typing away at her laptop.

“Um, Petra?” he called out, gingerly picking his way through the impromptu obstacle course. “Is this all of my stuff?”

She looked up at the sound of his voice, face brightening. “Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” she teased, sitting her laptop to the side. “I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up.”

He flopped down next to her on yet another expensive-looking couch, the only clear surface that he could find. “How long was I out?”

She lifted her glasses and squinted at something on her wrist. It was, he realized, a device that looked exactly like the one he had seen Akira wearing. “About eighteen hours.”

Huh. No wonder he’d had to pee. “I see you’ve been busy while I was asleep.”

“I figured it would be better to go ahead and get our things now, before the Galra figure out who we are and where we live. After I finally got you into bed yesterday --- seriously, you passed out as soon as you walked through the door --- I went and rounded up some help. We found what’s-his-name down in the garage. The one who came to the office the other day?”

“Akira?”

“Yeah, him. He got us one of their transport vehicles and took us to get out things. I tell you; these guys are efficient. Had your place packed up in two hours. Akira went to talk to Mr. Corey.” She grinned. “Bet the old geezer just _loved_ that.”

Leandro couldn’t help but chuckle. Mr. Corey, his landlord, was a lecherous old man who had a thing for ripped abs and flat chests. He was notorious for lurking outside Leandro’s apartment when he heard the shower running and knock on the door as soon as it stopped, hoping to catch his tenant is nothing but a towel. Leandro could only imagine what the old geezer had thought of Akira, with his beautiful eyes and sharp cheekbones. He’d probably had a heart attack. “Well, you’ve been a member of the Deliverance for less than a day and have already taken over, I see.”

She let out a snort as she leaned into him. “After what they did to you, they better be glad I didn’t set the place on fire. Or just run off with you and broadcast their location to the Galra. It would serve them right.”

“How did you find me, anyways?”

“By tracking your goggles. When you told me that you were going to wait to see if Akira came back so you could question him, I immediately locked on to the goggles so that I could track you in case he dragged you away. I wanted to make sure I could swoop in and save your ass.” She tilted her head so that she could grin up at him. “Though it looked like you were doing a pretty good job of saving yourself when I barged in. Sorry I messed it up.”

He returned her grin as he slung an arm around her shoulders. “Oh, I’m sure my ass would still have needed saving. Alina seemed pretty desperate. I doubt she was going to let me go that easily. Besides, I didn’t have much of a plan beyond getting down to the garage and stealing a car. I doubt I would have made it very far on my own.”

“Probably not,” she replied, voice going grim. “Akira told me that the Galra found you two pretty quick, both the sentries and the soldiers. He was pretty sure that they had somehow been able to track you. Or him.”

“You two seem to have gotten awfully chatty.”

She shrugged. “It’s been easy to get information out of him. He’s practically _oozing_ guilt, and wants to do whatever he can to make up for his part in all of this.” She paused. “Y’know, now I can see why you flirted with him. He _is_ pretty sexy, especially without that mask on. What with that scar and all.”

Oh, no. He wasn’t about to rise to _this_ bait. “You were saying about the Galra?”

“Oh, right. So, Akira was worried about them somehow tracking one of you. I asked him what all he had at the time he came to meet you, and he let me scan it. Nothing. So I scanned your things, and _voila!_ He was right.”

He frowned at that. “How were the Galra able to get a tracker on me?”

“The Galra didn’t. The Deliverance did.”

Leandro felt his whole body go rigid at this. _“Where?”_ he growled. “If they ---”

“Easy,” she said, pressing herself deeper into his side and placing a reassuring hand on his knee. “It’s been deactivated. It was dead when I found it. You’re safe here. From the Galra, at least.”

He stayed that way for a moment, body so tight he was nearly vibrating, before he let out a long, slow breath, and allowed himself to melt back into the couch. “Where was it?” he asked, his voice still holding a hint of his earlier growl.

“In the envelope. The one Akira was bringing to you. It was hidden between the credits. My guess is that Alina anonymously sent the signal to the Galra as a tip about the bombing.”

It took a moment for that piece of information to sink in. “Damn,” he said, shaking his head. “He had that envelope at least long enough to get from here to the office. How could she be sure that the Galra wouldn’t get to him before he found me?”

“If I had to guess, he was given a dormant tracker. Then she gave him time to get to you before broadcasting the signal. Once Alina knew that Akira had you in tow, she deactivated it. They just wanted to make sure that you thought you had no choice but to come here, not lead the Galra to their doorstep.” She paused. “But I smashed it. Just to be safe.”

He shook his head again. “You have to give her credit. She’s clever. Ruthless, but clever.”

“Don’t forget desperate. Which means she’s dangerous.”

“Yeah. Definitely noticed the desperate part. Speaking of which, did she tell you what this ‘new Galra threat’ that she’s so worried about is?”

Petra shook her head. “She said she’d wait until you were awake, then she’d call a meeting to explain everything. Says she has a plan.”

“We’ll, at least she has _that_ in her favor.” He yawned and stretched. “Just let me get something to eat, and we can get down to business.”

“No. _First_ you’re going to take a shower.” She sat up so that she could turn to him, her nose scrunched up. “You smell like shit.”

He pouted. “ _You_ were the one leaning on _me!”_

“That’s because I love you. And, if you could smell yourself, you would know what a sacrifice it was.” She shoved his shoulder. “Go get cleaned up. _Then_ we’ll get down to business.”

The people who had packed his belongings hadn’t just been efficient; they’d been thoughtful as well,l and made sure to label every box. When Leandro had found the one marked ‘bathroom’, he’d been delighted to find not only his toiletries, but all of his skincare products as well. Armed with this and a clean change of clothes, he headed for the shower.

The shower felt as luxurious as it looked. There were five jets --- _five! ---_ cleaning him from every angle. The door, he learned, doubled as a screen that he could link to his comm. He refused to look at the news tickers that it was suggesting for him and decided to listen to music instead. When he finally stepped out, he found impossibly thick, fluffy towels waiting for him in some sort of container that acted as a warmer.

By the time he returned to the living area, he was starting to feel like a human again. “Y’know,” he told Petra as they walked into the kitchen, “if we’re going to be imprisoned, at least it’s a _nice_ prison.”

She snorted. “A cage is still a cage, Leo. No matter how gilded it is.” She paused. “But, yeah. If I had to pick a place to be stuck in, I’d definitely pick this one.”

The kitchen, he soon discovered, had also been stocked while he was dead to the world. Hayach, Petra explained to him, was the best cook in the Deliverance. The two of them had gone on a supply run yesterday, and there were now fruits and vegetables and cereal and juice. Plus, Hayach had cooked a pan of meatloaf for them as a welcome meal.

More importantly, there was ---

“ _Coffee!”_ Leandro couldn’t contain his shout of joy as he lunged towards the device set into the wall that bore the image of a large, white mug, the universal symbol for liquid life. “Where ---”

“In the cabinet to your right,” Petra called out in an amused tone.

He flung open the door to the aforementioned cabinet and squealed in pure delight when he saw that Petra had already unpacked his collection of mugs. He pulled one out --- a red one that said ‘I’M THE REASON IT’S HOT IN HERE’ before turning to her, beaming. “Petra, you are a _goddess.”_

“I know,” she said smugly, flashing her glasses.

He placed the mug into its allotted space in the unit and started pushing buttons. It took him a few minutes to figure it out --- this unit was far nicer than any of the others he’d found on this godforsaken rock --- but soon he was taking his first sip of coffee in days. He closed his eyes and let out a moan that was purely orgasmic. Okay. This whole situation wasn’t _all_ bad.

“Sit,” Petra told him, pointing to a stool situated behind a small bar area. As he did so, she moved to the chill box and pulled out the meatloaf and began to cut him a slice. “We haven’t been able to get to the office yet. The Galra have the whole block cordoned off while they are looking for clues. It may be a bit before their attention dies down enough for us to get in and get what we need out of there.”

“Has there been any more news about the bombing?”

“There was an official press release yesterday.” Petra took the plate of meatloaf to the warmer. “They are listing it as a terrorist attack, but stopped just short of placing blame on anyone. They did report that there were two suspects, and they gave descriptions, but they were pretty vague.” The warmer chimed, and she took out the plate and put it in front of him. “They _did,_ however, give a pretty accurate description of Akira’s bike. A lot of people are pointing out that it sounds a lot like the motorcycle The Mechanic supposedly drives. However, there are just was many stating that The Mechanic has never had a partner before, so it must be a copycat.”

He took the fork that Petra offered him and dug into his meal. “So, what’s the official verdict?” he asked around a mouthful of food.

“Officially, the investigation is ongoing. The Galra have, of course, offered a reward for any information in regards to the bombing or the two suspects.” Her brow creased. “But the chat rooms have been going insane since the press release came out. There’s been a lot of talk about Juicers getting involved in the search.”

He paused with the next forkful halfway to his mouth. “Juicers? What do they have to do with any of this?”

“According to the chatter, the Galra have made a separate deal with the leaders of the top three gangs in the city. If they can find any information that is reliable, they’ll get a huge supply of raw quintessence along with the credits. There have already been a number of reports coming in about Juicers coming into the Outskirts.”

Leandro scowled down at his food. _Fucking Juicers._

Quintessence was the main source of energy for the Galra. They used it for everything, from powering their hideous neon lights to curing their sick. Raw quintessence, when melted into liquid, could be used as a stimulant. He had been injected with it on multiple occasions when he was a slave, and he had _hated_ it. He’d had no control over his body, the need to constantly be _moving,_ to _do_ something, overwhelming everything else. Afterwards, it had left his body jittery and aching.

A lot of people, however, found the Juice (as it had come to be called) addictive. They liked the boost of energy it gave them, liked the fact that they could go for days without rest. He had even overheard conversations about how much better sex was when Juiced. But he had seen what happened to people who had been using it too much, had seen what they had been willing to do in order to get even the smallest amount of it. If the Galra were offering a large amount of raw quintessence in exchange for his whereabouts, the Juicers wouldn’t hesitate to raze the whole planet to the ground in order to find him.

His stomach clenched, and he sat his fork down. “Didn’t you say Alina wanted to meet with us?” he asked, voice tight.

Petra was watching him from across the bar, her gaze searching. He knew that she was trying to figure out what it was that had upset him. But he also knew that she would never ask. And he would never tell her. Those were memories best left in the past. “She asked that we let her know when you were awake. Try and eat some more. I’ll send her a message and see what she says.”

When they stepped out of the apartment, Petra waved the device on her wrist at the access panel. There was a beep, followed by a click, signifying that the door was now locked.

Both of his eyebrows lifted. “You got an access chip?”

“Yep. So do you.” She held out another one of the black wrist devices towards him.

He took it, making a face as he did so. “Do I have to wear this? It’s hideous.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you diva, you have to wear it. It’s not just your access chip. It’s a comm, too. It lets you call out, and can even project the image of the person you are speaking to in real time. You can get updates on it, check the news, the weather… It’s just like your normal comm, but with easier access.”

He squinted at it as they stepped into the elevator. “You’d think that, with all the technology and people that Alina claims to have, they could make this a bit more fashionable. It looks like those tacky Apple Watches our grandparents had.”

She let out a long-suffering sigh. “Just put the damn thing on, Leo.”

He did so, nose scrunched up in distaste. “how does this thing work, anyways?”

She held up her own wrist to demonstrate how each of the features worked. By the time the elevator doors slid open, Leandro was grudgingly beginning to admit that the thing was useful, even if it was ugly. He was so busy tapping on the screen that he didn’t even bother paying attention to his surroundings, letting Petra guide him along. It wasn’t until he heard Alina call his name that he looked up, blinking as he realized he had no idea where he was.

He had expected them to return to the lounge area where they had met yesterday. He had _not_ expected to end up in a giant room filled with dozens of holovid screens, with a large holomap dominating the center of the room. It looked like those high—tech military command centers they always showed in the movies.

He let out a low whistle of appreciation. _Now_ this _is impressive!_

Alina was standing by the holomap, beaming at him. “Hello, Mr. Sanchez. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I hope you are well-rested?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I slept great.” He placed a hand on the back of his neck as his eyes swept the room. “Where are we?”

“Welcome to our command center,” Curran answered in a proud tone of voice as he appeared next to his fellow Altean. “This is the heart of the Deliverance.”

Equipment rested on every surface of the room. There were more computers here than he had ever seen before, along with other things that he did not recognize. Hayach was currently hurrying across the room to speak with Petra, and the three Kogane men stood a little bit away, all murmuring to each other. Akira caught his eye and gave him a small nod. He returned it before turning back to Curran. “So this is where the magic happens, huh?”

‘Precisely.” The other man looked smug as he twirled his mustache. “We can run surveillance, keep track of the locations of all of our members, provide real time support during missions, even pinpoint distress calls as they come in so that we can alert the nearest operative as soon as possible. I designed it myself.” His chest puffed out proudly.

“I’m impressed.” Leandro touched his fingers to his temple in a salute, and Curran’s chest, if possible, puffed out even more.

“We wanted to bring you all here today so we can discuss our plans for what comes next,” Alina said, causing the rest of the room to fall silent. “You all are now part of a special team within the Deliverance, a special operations unit, if you will. We will operate under the team name of Voltron, and you will each be known as a paladin. I’ve assigned you each a color as your call sign. Leandro, you will be the Blue Paladin. Petra will be green, and Hayach will be yellow. Akira, I have assigned you as red, Hoshi is black, and Dante is white. Any questions so far?”

Silence greeted her.

“Um…” That was Hayach. “What is Voltron?”

“And what the hell is a paladin?” Leandro couldn’t help but ask.

There was a strange light in Alina’s eyes as she took a step forward. “Voltron was a mighty weapon created by my people thousands of years ago. No one is exactly sure what it was, as all of the legends vary. But what we _do_ know is that it was created as a means to help broker peace throughout the universe, a tool to help those who were otherwise unable to protect themselves. It played a large part in pushing back the Galra when they began conquering other worlds. So much so that it became a sort of boogeyman for the Galra, a name only whispered about in fear.” Her teeth flashed into a sharp grin. “What better name for those will soon become the things of Galran nightmares?”

Leandro felt a shudder make its way down his spine. He and Petra had both thought that Alina was just desperate. But now he could see that she was zealous, that this was a holy cause for her. And that was _far_ more dangerous than desperate.

“I do like the idea of being called a paladin,” said Hoshi. The elder Kogane brother turned to Leandro and offered a warm smile. “’Paladin’ is an old military title. It started off as the title for the man who was responsible for the soldiers’ faith as well as fighting by their side. He would often be someone who came from a religious background. But then it became a title for anyone who was a champion of a just cause. It was considered a great honor to be given the title of paladin.”

Alina beamed at him. “ _Exactly!_ Champions of a just cause is exactly what you all are.”

“And what cause is that?” Akira sked in a sharp tone of voice. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed on his leader.

“Freedom,” she replied. ‘The most just of all causes.”

“And why are you doing this?” That was Petra. “What has changed that warrants the formation of Voltron?”

Alina beckoned them all closer. “The reason that we need you all --- the reason that we need _Voltron ---_ is because we’ve recently noticed a significant change in the behavior of the Galra. They are planning something in Neon City. Something _big._ We have some ideas of what it might be, but we’re not sure. And we _need_ to be sure.”

Leandro couldn’t deny his curiosity. “What’s the behavior that’s changed? I haven’t noticed anything in the city.”

“There has been a huge spike in traffic lately. They’ve been making runs like I’ve ---”

“ _The supply ships!”_ Petra suddenly yelled out, causing everyone in the room to jump. She turned to face Leandro, eyes bright with excitement. “I was telling you about this the other day, remember? I had noticed that the amount of supply ships coming in was way more than normal.”

God, had that just been a few days ago? It felt as though it had been a lifetime. “I remember. You said they weren’t releasing their cargo manifests like they normally do.” His eyes flicked to Alina. “I take you know what was in those ships?”

“Quintessence,” she replied grimly. “ _Raw_ quintessence. And a lot of it.”

Petra sucked in air through her teeth. “No wonder the Juicers are going crazy.”

“Juicers?” That was Dante, who, until now, had been silent. “Are they involved in this somehow?”

Petra explained what she had learned earlier while surfing through some of the underground chat rooms. The more she spoke, the deeper the doctor’s frown became. “That could be a problem,” he said when she was finished. “If enough Juice --- or even just raw quintessence --- hits the streets, the Galra won’t have to worry about making everyone submissive to them. There won’t be any people left after the finish tearing each other apart.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Leandro interjected, shaking his head. “The Galra _need_ people, need them to bend to their rule. They see us as tools. Cattle. We do all of their dirty work for them. No people, no workforce. And people hyped up on Juice are hard to control.”

Hoshi was tapping a metal finger against his chin thoughtfully. “How much quintessence are we talking about?”

Alina’s expression was grim. ‘They have basically shipped in all of the quintessence from every mining operation on the planet, even the ones that are not on the official registers. It’s … I don’t know if we can even start to calculate how much we’re talking about.”

Leandro blanched at that. He had worked in a mine during his time as a slave, one of the smaller ones close to the city. He had seen firsthand just how much quintessence could be mined when you didn’t care about your workers. And, if she was talking about _all_ of the mines…

“That a lot of quintessence,” Hayach said in a nervous voice. “What would they need that much for?”

“Indoctrination,” Leandro and Alina said at the same time. They looked at each other, startled, before he gestured for her to continue. “We know that the indoctrination process has to be difficult, and we know that it appears to require a good amount of quintessence. Dante, you know more about this than I do.”

“It’s… It’s not quintessence, exactly.” Dante pushed his glasses farther up his nose. “I haven’t had the chance to study it very much, as we’ve only managed to get our hands on a few samples. We can tell that it is _made_ from quintessence, but its makeup has been changed somehow. It’s turned into what we call nanos, which are microscopic machines that are injected into an individual’s bloodstream. Nanos have traditionally been used to heal small injuries from the inside out. But these are almost like radios that are already programmed to make their host complaint to whatever they are told by the Galra, and the Galra only.” He held up his hands in a helpless shrug. “But we have no idea how it all actually _works.”_

Petra was tugging at her lower lip, brows furrowed. “So, if we’re going off the theory that they are bringing in all of this quintessence for the purpose of indoctrination, we need to think about the reasoning behind it. They only do indoctrinations… what? Twice a year? Maybe three times?”

“And they save it for those who are their loudest opponents,” Akira added. “Usually political prisoners. How many of those do they have locked away right now? Surely not enough to account for this much quintessence.”

“Are they planning on increasing the number of indoctrinations?” Hoshi.

“People would start to notice.” Leandro. “The only reason they haven’t protested the indoctrination process so far is because the victims are always radicals. But if they start turning regular people into mindless servants, the people as a whole won’t stay quiet.”

“But would they _really_ \---”

“Enough.” Alina’s voice did not raise, but rang throughout the room nonetheless. They all feel silent and turned to face her. “This is all just speculation at this point. What we need right now is information. That is why I formed this team. We _cannot_ let the Galra know that we are on to them. This is not something that the Deliverance can handle. This requires you all and your unique talents.”

“All right,” Hoshi said. “What’s your plan?”

“Each of you will be paired up with another Paladin, and each pair will have a specific assignment during the mission. Leandro, you will be working with Akira.”

“ _What?”_ Leandro shouted, at the same time that Akira barked out a “ _No!”_ The two men whipped their heads around to glare at each other for several seconds before they both turned away, both scowling.

Leandro spoke first. “No offense, princess, but I’m not real keen on the idea of working with someone who doesn’t know how to think for himself. I need someone who can _act,_ not sit there and wait for orders while we are getting shot at. If I have to have a partner, why not give me Petra? We’ve been together for years and make a pretty good team.”

“I _can_ think for myself,” Akira snapped at him. “I’ve been evading the Galra far longer than you have.” He turned back to Alina. “And I’ve always done it alone. That was our deal, remember? You wouldn’t even let my _brother_ go on assignments with me. And now you want me to work with _a complete stranger?”_

She lifted a hand placatingly. “I am not sending you out there alone, Akira. _Especially_ not now that we know there are Juicers looking for you. I need to know that you at least have backup to help get you out of trouble should the need arise. As for you…” She turned to face Leandro. “Like I said, each of you has a unique talent that is suited for this mission. Petra will be needed here to help Hayach with research. She’s already managed to provide us with valuable information that we were not otherwise aware of. You and Akira are the most familiar with both the city and the Outskirts, and you both have managed to evade the Galra for years. I need you two to be my boots on the ground.” Her expression hardened. “And I can assure you that you could not ask for a better person to have at your back in a time of trouble. I would trust Akira with my life. You can trust him with yours.”

His scowl deepened, but he didn’t say anything else.

She held his gaze for a few seconds longer before she turned to the elder Kogane brother. “Hoshi, you and Dante will provide mission support. I am also appointing you as team leader, and give you full permission to direct each of your Paladins as you see fit. I know that you will always take their well-being into consideration when assigning missions.”

He nodded. “Thank you, Alina. I will do my best to take care of them.”

She smiled, then clapped her hands together. “This next week will be spent on nothing but training and strategizing. It is far too risky to send Akira and Leandro out right now, as the Galra and Juicers will be swarming the streets looking for them. I will make a schedule for each of you in regards to trainings and debriefings, and will have them out to you later on this evening. You have the rest of the day to do as you please.” That zealous light was back in her eyes. “Rest well, my paladins. Tomorrow, we begin our march towards freedom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and constructive critcism. I am an absolute panster, and pretty much just let the story write itself. So I very much appreciate any input you all may have1
> 
> And, as always, thank you so much for reading!


	7. The Job Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leandro Sanchez just wants to be left alone to live a life of freedom. But all that changes when a mysterious young man comes to him for a job.
> 
> Akira Kogane has dedicated his life to fighting the Galra as a soldier of the Delieverance. When he is asked to contact a man named Leandro to make a delivery, he does so without question.
> 
> Neither of them know that this meeting while turn both of their worlds upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for coming along with me on this journey! I greatly appreciate all of the feedback and judos!  
> So you know how, when you go on a really good roller coaster, you have that slight pause at the top right before the first big drop? I feel like this chapter is that pause, and that the next one starts the drop.  
> Please enjoy some awkward Akira and some slightly angsty Leandro.

Akira was thankful that Alina had scheduled his solo training sessions first thing in the morning, since the training room was usually empty at this time. He had decided to spend his hour with the various punching bags located around the room, so he’d wrapped his hands in athletic tape and --- forgoing any type of gloves --- got to work.

He didn’t let himself think as he worked. He focused only on his breathing, controlling his inhales and exhales as he punched and kicked. He started off slow, giving his muscled a chance to loosen up, to start to feel the stretch settle into his limbs and a light sheen of sweat to settle onto his skin. That meant that he could now push for _more._

He began to move faster, hit harder, kick higher. The dull ache in his arms and legs began to burn, turning painful. The sheen of sweat turned into rivers, pouring down his skin and drenching his clothes.

He gritted his teeth and pushed for _more._

He kept going until he reached the point where he knew he could go no further. With a loud cry, he aimed a spinning kick at the top of the heavy bag he had been pummeling.

And felt the material split under this heel.

Akira landed in a crouch, chest heaving from exertion as he watched the sand trickle out of the tear he’d made in the bag. _Holy shit._

“Well,” came a voice off to his right. He turned his head to see Alina standing just inside the entrance. Her gaze was locked onto the pile of sand that was beginning to gather on the floor underneath the bag. “I had planned on asking you to spar with me, but…” Her lips twisted into a wry smile, and she shook her head. “Better that bag than my head, I suppose.”

He slowly rose to his feet, feeling a slight shake in his legs. “Alina,” he murmured, giving her a small nod. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you.” She turned to face him, eyes pleading. In a soft voice, she added, “Please?”

He sighed as he walked to the corner where he had left his gym towel and water pouch. “There isn’t anything to say, Alina,” he said, using the towel to wipe the sweat from his face. “You’ve already given me your explanation, and I know you’re not going to apologize.”

“You’re right; I won’t apologize. I did what was necessary.” She bit her lip. “I meant what I said the other day, about you being like a younger brother to me. You are a part of my family, and I don’t want you to hate me. I know I’ve lost your trust, maybe your respect. But…” She shrugged helplessly.

He stood there for a moment, staring at her, thinking of what to say. He’d spent these past few days mulling over all of the events that had transpired and how he felt about it. He hadn’t, however, thought about what he might say to her if she asked. He had assumed they would just ignore it and push on.

Finally, he shook his head slowly. “I’m angry at you, yes. But I’m mostly angry at myself for not being more thorough. For breaking my own rules. I’m just as much at fault in this as you are. And I haven’t lost my respect for you. I know that you were doing it because you thought it was right, not because you wanted to hurt anyone.” He paused. “I just wish you would have told me what the plan was.”

Alina ran a hand over her braids before giving them a tug. Akira had seen her perform the gesture enough times to know that it meant she was frustrated. “I knew you would tell me no, Kira. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. If I had told you that I planned to trick the only surviving Sanchez family member into joining the Deliverance, you would have refused. And then you would have tried to talk me out of it.”

“You’re right. I would have. _Someone_ should have.” He spread his hands. “This isn’t what the Deliverance is about. We _help_ people. You could have killed him! What if he had brought Petra with him when he delivered the package? What if the Galra had caught him? Would you have cared? Would you have spent as much effort to rescue him as you did to recruit him?”

He saw the look of guilt flash across her face before she schooled it back into a neutral expression. “’A cause worth dying for;”, she said, reminding him of the Deliverance’s motto.

“Only if they are willing to do so,” he snapped back, feeling his temper flare. Was she _seriously_ still trying to defend herself? She knew how he felt about this subject. “We _never_ force anyone to do anything they don’t want to. That makes us no better than the Galra!”

. She visibly flinched at that, and Akira felt a small, grim sense of victory as he realized that his verbal punch had landed hard. “I did what was necessary,” she repeated, though she didn’t sound as convinced as she had just a moment ago.

Akira clenched his fists and took a step forward. Now that the damn had broke, all of those mixed-up feelings that had been swirling around inside of him came pouring out. “You could have _asked_ him. It should have been his choice. It should _always_ be their choice. You were the one who told me that!”

“I _did_ ask him! Twice! He said no!”

“No. You had the Deliverance ask him to join the cause, and I doubt that they tried very hard. You --- Alina --- never asked him. You did not go to him and explain what was happening, explain your worries to him. He might have agreed then. Instead, you forced him into it. _And_ you exploited both the deaths of his family _and_ the loss of his friend’s family to get what you wanted.” He shook his head. “Is this what the Deliverance is turning into? Because, if it is, then I’d prefer to be on my own.”

“We are doing what is _right!”_ she shouted at him, her cheeks red and eyes bright. Akira knew then that he had struck a nerve. Alina _never_ raised her voice.

He sneered at her. “Are we? Or is just nothing more than your own personal vendetta?”

That, apparently, was the wrong thing to say.

Alina let out a growl, a sound that no human throat should be able to make. Her pupils blew, the iris reduced to a small ring of green around the black. Her face began to change, and she dropped to all fours, her eyes locked on his.

_Shit._ Akira felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he dropped into a fighting crouch. Alina was about to attack him, and he knew he was no match for her. Not in physical combat, anyways, not when she was like this. Maybe if he had his sword….

“Yo, Kira. You still in here? Sorry I’m late. I --- Woah!”

_Shit,_ he thought again. He hadn’t been paying attention to the time, had totally forgotten that Leandro was supposed to meet him for team training. He needed to get the other man out of the room, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off of Alina. He had to keep her attention on him and away from Leandro.

However, Alina seemed to remember where she was --- and what she was about to do ---and Akira watched as she managed to pull herself back together. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her face returning to normal. When she lifted her eyelids, he could see that her eyes had returned to the sparkling green that he was used to. He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, feeling his body relax.

As Alina slowly rose to her feet, he finally felt comfortable enough to move his gaze to Leandro. The other man’s hands were up, his eyes wide and focused on Alina. “Er. I can come back later. I told Hayach that ---”

“It’s all right,” Alina said smoothly, turning to smile at Leandro. “Akira and I were just having a… misunderstanding. That is all. Please. Don’t let me keep you from your training.” She offered him a nod, then glanced back at Akira. He stiffened, but all she did was offer him the same nod. “We’ll finish this conversation at a later date.” The corner of her lips turned up. “When cooler heads can prevail.”

He nodded in return. “I look forward to it.”

Her smile widened --- just a bit --- before she turned to leave, pausing long enough to place a hand on Leandro’s shoulder. 

He watched her walk away before turning back to Akira. “What was that all about?” he asked, lowering his hands. “I could have used that fancy knife of yours to cut the tension, it was so thick in here.”

“It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Akira cocked his head to the side. “You were saying something about being late?”

Leandro moved to drop his towel and water pouch next to Akira’s. “I got lost,” he answered sheepishly. “I know I have a map on this wrist thingy, but I’m still trying to figure out how to use it.” He moved to unzip his pullover. “I finally went to the dinning hall to ask for directions. Thank the stars Hayach was there. He pointed me in the right direction.”

Akira watched as the other man pulled the garment off and dropped it to the floor next to his towel. He was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts, and Akira was treated to a feast of beautiful bronze skin and taut muscles. Akira was also surprised to see a few tattoos located on his companion’s arms and legs. The ugly black of his slave mark peeked out from under the strap of his tank top.

God, but he was gorgeous. For a moment --- and _only_ a moment --- he let himself wonder what it would feel like to run his hands over Leandro’s body. To see how soft his skin felt, to trace those tattoos with his fingertips. Maybe even find out what his lips tasted like.

“All right.” Leandro’s voice pulled him back from his daydream. The other man was standing with his hands on his hips, surveying the training room. “What exactly are we supposed to be doing?”

“For our hour, we’ll be working on hand-to-hand combat,” Akira replied as he began to unwrap his hands. “We’ll start off with some light sparring, just to see what we’re working with.”

Leandro made a face at this. “I don’t plan on getting near enough to anyone to have to fight them. I’m more of a ‘shoot-them-from-a-safe-distance’ kind of guy. Why don’t we practice shooting things?”

Akira valiantly tried to not look at the pout that was on is companion’s lips. “You can do that during your solo hour. The weapon training room is back there.”

Leandro’s eyes moved to the area where Akira had pointed his chin, looking skeptical. “Don’t worry,” Akira said, easily deciphering the other man’s concern. “I’ll show you how to use it. Now, do you know anything about hand-to-hand combat?”

Leandro ran a hand through his brown curls, and Akira found his own hands itching to do the same. “Does watching kung-fu movies count? I was a pretty small kid, so I just ran away from fights. And, as I mentioned earlier, I have no desire to get close enough to someone to have to hit them.”

“Fair enough.” Akira dropped his sweat-soaked wraps into the recycler before pulling his hair tie out. A lot of his hair had escaped during his training session, and he needed to fix it. “Show me how you think you should stand when you’re fighting.”

Leandro shot him a bemused look, but he moved his feet so that one was in the front, toes pointed forward, the back foot facing sideways, bracing him. He slightly bent his knees, then lifted his hands to form fists in front of his face.

The first thing that Akira noticed was that his front foot was his right, which he had not expected. “You’re left-handed?”

He opened his left fist and wiggled his fingers. ‘The fastest southpaw in all of Santiago de Cuba.”

“Well, I’m glad to see that you at least know to put your best foot forward.”

There was a breath of silence, then Leandro barked out a laugh. “Did you just make a _joke?_ I’m impressed, Samurai! I didn’t know you had it in you!”

Akira, who had moved to stand behind the other man, frowned in confusion. He actually had not been making a joke, but that wasn’t the important part. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, I mean, no offense ---- I’ve only been around you, like, three times --- but you kind of seem to have a stick permanently shoved up your ass.”

He scowled, even though he knew his companion couldn’t see him. “I do _not._ You just haven’t been around me when we’re not in a stressful situation.”

Leandro snorted. “Dude, that stick was up your ass when we first met, _before_ the shit hit the fan. Do you remember what you said when I asked you who you were?” He lowered his voice in an attempt to mimic Akira’s. “’A customer’. I even tried flirting with you. You just narrowed your eyes at me. You have _no_ sense of humor, my friend.”

His scowl deepened, but he decided to drop the subject. “Do I have permission to touch you?” he asked, then winced when he realized how stiff his voice sounded.

Leandro _tsked_ at this. “Forget working on fighting. We need to work on getting that stick out. And your flirting skills! I give you major points for asking for consent --- at least you are a gentleman --- but your delivery needs a _lot_ of work.”

Akira couldn’t hold back a growl. “I am _not_ flirting,” he ground out, even as he felt the blush creep into his cheeks. “I just wanted to fix a few things with your stance, but I didn’t want to touch you without your permission first.”

He could practically hear the grin in Leandro’s voice. “Sure, Samurai. You can touch me all you want.” His last few words came out as a purr.

That was just too much. “Are you going to take this seriously?” he snapped. “We have a job to do, and I am going to have to rely on you to protect my back. If you can’t do that, then we are going to have to figure something else out. Because, if I can’t trust you to look out for me, then we can’t be partners. So, tell me now, before I waste any more of my time.”

For a moment, no one soke. The only sounds Akira could hear was his own ragged breathing and the pounding of his heart. _Fuck._ He couldn’t do this. He wasn’t good with people. This was why he had always worked alone. Leandro already hated him, and this wasn’t going to help. It was a wonder the other man had even bothered to show up today at all.

He waited for Leandro to say something, for his companion to comment on his outburst, to leave, Anything. Anything but what actually happened.

“You’re right,” Leandro said in a quiet voice, all hints of playfulness gone. “I _do_ need to take this seriously. I’m sorry. Please. Show me.”

Akira stood still for a moment, trying to get his breathing under control. He ran his hands over his face, silently cursing himself for losing his cool in front of his new partner. But he didn’t say anything else, just stepped forward to lightly grip the other man’s hips. “Here,” he said gruffly, turning Leandro slightly. “You need to stand a little looser. You’re going to want to be able to move quickly, and you are too squared --- like you are now --- you will only be able to move your upper body. Pull your back foot in a little bit closer.”

“Like this?” He moved his foot as instructed.

Akira let out a hum of approval. “Very good. Now, move your weight to the balls of your feet. And don’t bend your knees quite as much. The idea is to be _loose._ Fluid.”

Leandro nodded, then inhaled deeply through his nose. When he slowly exhaled through his mouth, Akira could see his shoulders loosening, the tension in his back disappearing.

“Good,” Akira murmured, moving around to Leandro’s front. He studied the other man’s arms, making sure to avoid eye contact. He reached out to gently grasp his companion’s wrists, pulling his arms slightly down. “Keep them below your chin. That way it’s easier to move them to the place you need to protect the most, be it your face or your midsection.”

He lifted his gaze to find those blue eyes ( _cornflower_ his mind supplied, as a brief memory of asking his mother what the name on the Crayon was) fixated on him as he continued to adjust their owner’s body. Akira tried to keep his touches light and brief, to not let his mind latch on to the fact that Leandro’s skin was warm and soft under his fingers.

Finally, he took a step back, and --- after raking Leandro’s form with a critical eye --- gave a satisfied nod. “There. How does that feel?”

Leandro moved experimentally, bouncing on his feet and weaving the top half of his body back and forth. “It feels pretty good, actually. You were right. Being loose is way better. It’s _much_ easier for me to move like this.”

Akira let himself start to smile. The other man looked absolutely ridiculous bobbing around like that, but the motion was fluid, which was exactly what they had been going for. “All right. Now, I want to see what your punch looks like.” He moved so that he was within striking distance of Leandro’s fists. “Hit me.”

Leandro stopped moving. “What?”

“I want you to hit me. It’s the best way for me to see what your punches are like. I want to make sure you aren’t going to break your hand if you happen to get into a fight.”

“Dude, I’m not hitting you. Don’t you have some pads or something I can hit instead? Or what about the punching bag? There’s several of those. The heavy bag is already busted. I’ll take a few whacks at it.”

Akira frowned at him. He had thought that the other man would relish the chance to get in a few hits. He was sure Leandro still blamed him for being here, and he had wanted to do something by way of apology. The fact that Leandro was hesitating was unexpected. “You… don’t want to hit me?”

“Of _course_ I don’t want to hit you! Why would I ---” Leandro suddenly stopped, straitening his legs and putting his hands on his hips as he gazed at his partner thoughtfully. “Ooooh, I get it. This is your way of trying to say you’re sorry, isn’t it? You think that I am super pissed at you, and that hitting that pretty face of yours will make me feel better. That’s it, isn’t it?”

Akira was feeling very confused --- the fact that Leandro had said he had a pretty face wasn’t helping --- and a bit foolish. “But you hate me,” he pointed out. “There is no way you don’t hate me. Not after everything that’s happened.”

Leandro sighed and shook his head. “I don’t hate you, Akira,” he said softly. I’m not mad at you. Hell, I’m not even mad at Alina. You two may not be my favorite people in the world right now, but I’m not mad.”

None of this was going the way Akira had expected. He had been so sure that his new teammate was furious with hm, that he was so full of anger that Leandro would enjoy the opportunity to take it out on Akira. He hadn’t expected the other man to be so casual with him, to flirt and make jokes. And definitely not to _not_ be angry. This…. acceptance was foreign to him. “But why?” he blurted out. “We ruined your life! You said so yourself!”

“Yeah. Well.” He shrugged. “I was tired and hungry and confused and fucking _scared._ My mouth was working faster than my brain.” He paused, then shook his head. “But what’s done is done. I can’t go back and change it. So what’s the point in being mad? ‘No use crying over spilled milk’, as my mother used to say.” A smile touched his lips, briefly, and he turned his face away. “Besides, the worst thing that could possibly happen to me already has. So the bar was already set kinda high in the ‘you-ruined-my-life’ department.”

Akira didn’t understand any of this. He knew that he’d be furious if he were in Leandro’s position. He would be boiling over with rage, and he would take every chance possible to get back at the people that he held responsible for his misery. But all that mattered to him in that moment --- all he could care about --- was that the other man wasn’t angry at him.

_Leandro didn’t hate him._

A wave of relief washed over him so vast it nearly sent him staggering to his knees. It was overwhelming, and beautiful, and he had never felt anything like it in his life.

A smile --- a _real_ smile --- crossed his face, and he stood up taller, his heart feeling lighter. “All right, then. I’ll go get the practice pads so we can see how you hit.” He paused. “And, um, thanks, Leandro. For not hating me. I was worried that… Well, it means a lot. What you said. And I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, man. No worries. I _did_ tell you that you have a stick up your ass, so I kind of earned a dressing-down” Then he grinned, a grin so wide and so bright that it was nearly blinding. Akira’s breath hitched at the sight of it, his heart stuttering through a few beats. And when Leandro winked, he felt his face immediately catch fire. “And, please. Call me Leo.”

By the time he left the training room, Leandro was sore, but happy. Akira had given him a thorough workout, making him repeat his moves over and over again until they were exactly the way the scarred man had wanted them. After his partner was satisfied with his results, Leandro had been led to the weapons training room.

It was a large, open space, much bigger than the gym area they had just been in. At first, Leandro had been confused, as the room appeared to be empty. But when Akira had shown him the massive store of practice weapons --- everything from throwing stars and swords to weapons that he had never even heard of --- and explained how it worked, he couldn’t help but laugh in pure delight. Then he had spent the next hour shooting at whatever the AI threw at him.

After toweling off his sweat and zipping his pullover back up (Alina had decided not to announce that Leandro Sanchez was part of the Deliverance just yet, so he didn’t want the whole Castle to see his slave mark and start asking questions), he headed off down the hall towards the living quarters, already imaging how good his shower was going to feel.

However, he found Curran waiting for him.

The flame-haired Altean was lounging a few feet down the hall, his face brightening at the sight of the newly-minted Blue Paladin. “Hello, Mr. Sanchez! I hope you had a good training session this morning.”

“You can call me Leo, Curran.” He grinned. “And yeah. Training was great.”

‘Great’ had been Akira asking for permission --- _fucking permission ---_ to touch him, then being so gentle when he finally did. (Leandro was pretty sure that he had fallen at least a _little_ bit in love with his partner at that.) ‘Great’ was realizing just how awkward his new teammate really was, and being absolutely charmed by it. ‘Great’ was understanding just how devastated Akira had been at the thought of Leandro hating him, and the look of utter relief that crossed the scarred man’s face when he realized that wasn’t the case.

Curran beamed at this. “I am so happy to hear that! Now, I know that you are probably wanting to take a shower, but I was hoping I could borrow a few moments of your time?”

‘Sure,” he replied with a shrug. “I don’t have anything else to do anyways.”

“Ah! That’s _exactly_ what I wanted to talk to you about!” Curran clapped him on the shoulder. “Follow me.”

He led Leandro to the lounge area, then through a thick glass door and out into the rest of the Deliverance’s complex. “I don’t know how much you know about how the Deliverance operates, but we offer opportunities for anyone willing to take them. We don’t just need soldiers like Hoshi. We also need doctors like Dante and engineers like Hayach. The Deliverance wouldn’t be able to exist without them.”

“That makes sense. I mean, I know Akira is also the mechanic, and Hayach does a lot of the cooking as well. “

“Precisely! I thought you might like a job to do as well. Something to do while you’re not training or out on missions. We’ll provide you with a small stipend, of course.”

Leandro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I appreciate the thought, Curran, but I have no formal training in anything. I never finished high school, and being a delivery boy doesn’t really require any skill. I’m not sure how I can be of use to you in the jobs department.”

Curran scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. “The only people here who have official training are the medical staff. Akira learned how to work on cars from Dante, and he is now the best mechanic in all of the Outskirts! Besides.” He glanced at the younger man sideways. “I already have a job in mind for you.”

The two trekked across a wide expanse of lawn and down a gentle slope torwards a long, low building. As they got closer, Leandro could make out the sounds of children’s squeals and laughter. And, after a few more moments, he could see why.

“A _school?”_ He raised an eyebrow. “Curran, no offense, man, but I don’t think I’d make a very good teacher. I say ‘fuck’ a lot.”

The Altean just smiled and put a hand on Leandro’s shoulder. “Not a teacher, but something just as important. Something much more needed. Come on. Let me introduce you to sone of my friends.”

Leandro reluctantly followed his companion towards a modest playground, where a group of small children were gathered. He hadn’t been around any children since… Well, in a very long time. He wasn’t sure he remembered _how_ to interact with them.

Just before they reached the group, a small figure rocketed towards them. “ _Curran!”_

Curran laughed as he opened his arms just in time to catch the child as they launched themselves at him. “Hello, Master Lance! It is good to see you again!”

“Where have you been?” demanded a small, angry voice. “You promised that you would come and play with me!”

Curran sighed. “I know,” he said, and Leandro could hear real regret in his voice. “And I am so very sorry that I have not been able to keep my promise. I have been very busy lately. But I have brought someone that I want you to meet.” He put the child down and placed his hands on their shoulders, both of them facing Leandro. He looked down at the child…

… and felt his entire body go numb.

The child at Curran’s feet was a boy who looked to be around seven or eight. His skin was tan, a shade lighter than Leandro’s own. His hair was bronze, and he was looking up with wide eyes the color of chocolate.

For a moment, his vision waivered, and Leandro was seeing a different boy. The same age, with the same tan skin, same brown hair. But _this_ boy had eyes the color of the sky, and a gaped-tooth grin was spread across his face.

“ _Tio Leo!”_ He could hear the boy’s voice as if he were right there with them on that playground. “ _Tio Leo! Will you teach me how to play baseball? Papa says you’re the best player he’s ever seen!”_

Then he blinked, and he was back to staring at the boy with the chocolate eyes.

Leandro let out a shaky breath, then crouched down so that he was eye level with the child. “Hey, there,” he said with a smile. “My name is Leo. What’s yours?”

The boy pressed his back against Curran’s legs while looking at him warily, as if trying to decide if Leandro was a friend or foe. Finally, he said “My name is Lance.” Then, “You look like me. I’ve never met anyone else who looks like me, Well, not since we came here.” He held out a skinny arm for Leandro to inspect.

Leandro lifted his own arm, placing it next to the boy’s so that they could compare their skin tones. “That’s because my family is Hispanic,” he explained. “I’m from a place on Earth called Cuba. Have you ever heard of it?”

They boy’s eyes grew even wider at this, a small gasp escaping his lips. “No way!” he said excitedly. “I’m from Cuba, too! I was born in Havana!”

“Ah,” Leandro said in an impressed tone of voice. “You are from the capital! I am from Santiago de Cuba. Do you know where that is?”

The boy --- _Lance,_ Leandro reminded himself --- bit his bottom lip, eyebrows drawing together in concentration. After a moment, he shook his head, looking frustrated.

“Check this out.” Leandro lifted a hand, palm towards Lance, fingers pointed to the side and down. “Here is Havana.” He pointed to the area of his palm just below his thumb. “And here is Santiago de Cuba, alllllll the way down here.” He drug his fingertip down his hand to end at the tip of his middle finger.

The boy opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a voice calling out his name. “Come along now, Lance.” It was the teacher. All of the other kids were already gathered around her. “It’s time to go back inside.”

Lance looked like he wanted to argue, but Curran ruffled his hair fondly. “Go on now, Master Lance. I’ll bring Leo back tomorrow.”

That all-too adult wariness was back in his eyes. “Do you promise?”

“I’ll be back tomorrow.” Leandro offered his fist. “I promise.”

For a moment, no one moved. Then a wide grin stretched across Lance’s face, and he bumped his much smaller fist against Leandro’s before running back to join his classmates.

Leandro stood, watching as the herd of small bodies filed back into the building. He could easily pick out Lance, his mop of brown hair dancing as he walked. He felt something tighten in his chest as he watched the boy disappear through the door.

Curran stepped up next to him, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder. “We all know your story,” the older man said softly. “We know how you felt about Julian, what you sacrificed for him.”

_Julian…_

The tightness in his chest twisted painfully as he thought about that other boy, the one with the blue eyes. The boy that had been named after him. The boy that he had been willing to give his life for.

The boy that he had been unable to save.

As if sensing Leandro’s thoughts, Curran squeezed his shoulder. “We can’t bring your nephew back,” he said, voice gentle. “But these children need someone. Not a teacher. Not a counselor. But a friend. A mentor. Someone who has overcome their own personal tragedy and can help them do the same.” He shook his head. “I’ve tried to be that person, but my duties keep me too busy. But you… You are _exactly_ what they need.”

Leandro was still staring at the door that the kids had walked through. ”When you say they need help overcoming their own tragedies…”

“Most of them have lost something --- if not everything --- to the Galra. Some have lost homes, some have lost limbs. Almost all of them have lost family members.”

“Lance?”

Curran nodded, his eye sad. “His father and brother were enslaved by the Galra, just as you were, and sent to a worker’s prison several miles outside of the city. We were finally able to liberate the prison, but both men had been killed in a riot. Lance lives with his mother and younger sister. He is the man of the house now, and he hardly knows how to even be a child.”

_We can’t bring your nephew back,_ Curran had said. And Leandro knew that, knew Julian had been lost to him. But maybe --- just maybe ---he could use this opportunity to save someone else.

“All right,” he said, turning to face Curran. “When do I start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave thoughts, ideas, and constructive criticism. I am a total panster, so I am always going back and forth about how I want things to go, so all ideas are welcome. Also, I am HEAVILY inspired by music, so if you have any songs that you think fits this story, please let me know what they are so I can listen to them!
> 
> And, as always, thank you so much for reading this! :


	8. The Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Voltron prepares for their first mission, and Akira throws Leandro a curve ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right! The first drop of this roller coaster ride is upon us! This was a really fun chapter to write, and I can't wait for you all to see what is in store for our boys. 
> 
> As always, you guys are amazing. Thank you for taking a chance on this story, and for showing it some love. I ope you all enjoy reading this chapter as I did writing it!

The next several days passed in relative peace. The Paladins of Voltron had quickly settled into a daily routine: they had their individual and team trainings in the mornings, an unofficial team lunch (in which no one was allowed to talk about work), an afternoon spent working on their respective duties, and a group debriefing every night.

Much to his surprise, it didn’t take Leandro long to settle into life at the Castle. His living quarters were certainly an upgrade, and it was starting to feel quite homey, now that all of his things had been unpacked and put away. He liked living with Petra, liked getting to sit with her in their kitchen every morning, drinking coffee while they scanned through the news tickers.

The kids at the school had taken to him right away. Curran had been right; they just needed someone to be there for them. Someone who wasn’t an _official_ adult, like the teachers or counselors. Someone who had no other obligation to them besides being a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. He was at the school every afternoon. and didn’t leave until every student had gone home for the day.

He was enjoying getting to know his new teammates. He had quickly taken to Hayach, the other man always so happy and optimistic that Leandro couldn’t help but like him. Dante was the most patient man he had ever met. Hoshi was incredibly kind, and happily took on the role as the Team Mom. Leandro loved listening to their stories during their lunch hour, and had started trying to spend more time with each of them outside of their roles as paladins.

And then there was Akira.

Leandro had discovered on their second day of training that his partner had the lowest blushing threshold of anyone he had ever met, and he took every opportunity to turn the other man’s face red. He kept his teasing gentle --- Akira’s temper was just as easy to rile up as his embarrassment --- and Leandro had no desire to upset him. But every time Akira blushed, he gave himself a point. Two, if the other man stuttered in response as well. He had lost count of his score by the fifth day.

One day, after he and Petra had returned to their apartment for the night, he threw himself onto their couch. “I have decided on a new goal for my life,” he declared.

Petra’s expression was amused as she perched on the arm of the couch. “What is it this time? Learn to speak Galran? Go skinny-dipping in the fountain in front of the Castillo? Travel across the entire expanse of the Wastes?”

He waved her away. “No. It’s an even more _daunting_ goal than any of those.” He paused for dramatic effect. “I’m going to make Akira fall in love with me.”

That caused both of Petra’s eyebrows to shoot upwards. That was an answer that she had _not_ expected. “Oh? And how do you plan on doing that? Every other time you’ve tried to make someone fall in love with you, it has failed. _Miserably_. Remember that bartender? The one that stalked you?”

“Pssh. He was harmless.”

“ _Harmless?_ Leo, he followed you from the bar to your apartment three times. He tried to break in. You had to cosh him on the head with a baseball bat to get him away from you!”

Instead of being deterred, Leandro just grinned. “Guess that just means I’m _too_ good at making people fall in love with me.” He winked.

Petra could only let out a groan as she rolled her eyes. “You are _such_ an idiot. You’ve never actually made anyone fall in love with you before. _You’re_ always the one who is doing the falling. Have you ever thought about what you might do if someone actually said they loved you?”

“One step at a time, my friend,” he said cheerily. “One step at a time.”

She studied him for a long moment, watching as he rolled onto his side so that he could gesture the holovid screen on. She had known him for nearly seven years, had been there with him at the worst moment of his life. She had watched him pull himself back together, slowly and painfully, until he had become the Leandro that was before her now. He had a zest for life, that she had never seen before, and he wanted nothing more than to experience everything it had to offer. Anytime anyone paid him attention for more than two days, he would fall in love with them. He always fell fast, and he fell hard. But he hadn’t said anything about Akira. She knew that he had flirted with him, but, then, Leandro flirted with _everyone._ “Do you like him?” she asked. “Akira, I mean? As a potential romantic partner?”

Leandro shrugged. “I don’t know him enough to like him like that.”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

That drew a chuckle out of him. “You have a point.” He paused for a moment. “I like him as a man, sure. He’s beautiful. Even you’ve talked about how pretty he is. He’s dedicated, which I respect. And he’s so godsdamned _proper._ He never does anything to anyone without asking permission first. He’s _exactly_ like the heroes from the romantic movies my sisters used to make me watch.” He shrugs. “In another life, yes. He would be my ideal romantic partner. But, let’s face it. Akira will never _love_ me. He might tolerate me. Hell, I think we might actually be friends now. But love? No way. And that’s why it’s going to be so fun to try.”

Petra pursed her lips at this. Leandro had never spoken of a potential lover like this before. Usually he just saw a man or a woman that he thought was attractive and went from there. He never bothered with caring about their character, and none of them had ever stayed around long enough for him to really get to _know_ them. But he had been forced to be around Akira, to work with him, to get to know him. And now he was talking about him not as a sex object, but as a _man._ “Why do you think he wouldn’t love you?”

He rolled back onto his back so that he could look at her. “Come on, Pet. We couldn’t be more opposite if we tried. He is so stuffy and uptight and doesn’t like to be around people. I hate being by myself, and I have a hard time being serious. Could you imagine us actually _together?”_ He shuddered. “Besides, we’re partners now. We work together. A romantic entanglement might make things awkward, especially if we didn’t work out. I’m fine with how things are going right now.”

“Then why this goal of making him fall in love with you if you don’t plan on falling in love with him? You can’t just play with people like that, Leo.”

“Oh, I’m not. I wouldn’t do that to him. Besides, it’s just a silly game.” He told her about his goal to make Akira blush at every opportunity, and outlined some of the better responses he had gotten out of the tother man with his outrageous flirting. She couldn’t help but laugh at some of the stories he told, but she knew there was more to this, despite what Leandro was telling her. 

“What about you?” he finally asked. “Any cute boys down in Engineering caught your eye yet? What about Hayach? The two of you seem to be pretty chummy.”

She smiled as she pulled her hair tie free, letting he brown locks fall to her shoulder. “Hayach is such a good guy. But he’s still in the puppy stage with me. He follows me everywhere, constantly asking me questions. I don’t mind it, though. He’s absolutely brilliant, way more than he gives himself credit for.”

“Not your type, huh?”

She snorted as she shoved his legs off of the couch so that she could sit. “Unlike _you_ , my main goal in life isn’t to find my next sex partner. I have more important things to worry about.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Ugh. I don’t even want to _think_ about you having sex. That’s just… wrong.”

She threw a pillow at him. “ _You’re_ the one who brought this up, asshole! Besides, you’ve never spared _me_ the details about _your_ sex life. So why should I spare you from mine?”

For a moment, there was no answer, and Petra thought that he had finally let the matter drop. But then, in a soft voice, he said “You deserve to find someone, Petra. You’ve spent all this time taking care of me and not doing things for yourself. You never hang out with anyone but me, and you’ve gone out on a date, what? Twice? You’re finally around other people who think like you do, have similar interests to you. You’re beautiful, Petra. You’re smart as fuck, and you have the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. You deserve to have a life of your own instead of always having to babysit me. I just feel like this is a really good opportunity for you to be happy.”

Petra felt her heart swell at his words, and a feeling of warmth settled into her stomach. She loved this man more than she could ever put into words. Not romantically --- there had been a period of time when she thought it might have gone that way, but they had both realized that what they had was far more rare and precious. Despite his careless, arrogant air, Leandro cared more for others than he ever would about himself. He would do whatever it took to make those he cared about happy, no matter what the cost to himself.

She reached out to twine her fingers through his. “I’m not looking for a relationship,” she said, her voice just as soft as his had been. “If I do manage to find someone I’m interested in, then I’ll see what happens. But you are my family just as much as I am yours. Even if I do find a partner, you’re still stuck with me.” She squeezed his hand. “And the same goes for you. If Akira _does_ fall in love with you, you better make sure he understands that we are a two-for-one deal. He doesn’t get you without me.”

He laughed softly as he brought her hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss onto her knuckles. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he knows.”

Leandro was sitting on a swing in the school’s empty playground when his wrist comm beeped. He had been talking to another boy --- well, _trying_ to talk to him, anyways ---- as the two of them slowly swung back and forth. The boy was in the same class a Lance, and Leandro had noticed that he mostly kept to himself. He didn’t seem to have any friends, and Leandro didn’t think he had ever heard the boy speak. So when he had noticed the boy sitting by himself on the swing set, Leandro had decided to go and introduce himself. He had plopped onto the empty swing next to the boy and began to move back and forth.

Neither of them spoke for several moments as they concentrated on lazily swinging. When Leandro finally spoke, he made sure to pitch his voice so that only his companion could hear him. “’Sup? My name is Leo. What’s yours?’

There was no answer. The boy didn’t look at him, didn’t acknowledge that Leandro had even spoken. That was all right. Leandro would push him. He would just stay there, swinging, letting the boy know that he was there if he wanted to talk.

The boy still hadn’t said a word by the time the teacher called them to go back inside. He instantly stopped swinging and got to his feet. He didn’t leave right away, though. Instead, he turned his head just enough that Leandro could hear his voice.

“My name is Keith.”

Then he was gone, running off to join the line of his classmates moving through the door.

Leandro didn’t move from his swing after that. The weather was perfect today, and there would be another class out on the playground soon, another chance fo him to connect with a child who needed him.

But then his wrist comm beeped, startling him. He looked down at the screen, tapping at it until he was able to retrieve the message.

Alina’s face appeared above his wrist. “Hello, Paladins,” she said, her voice as clear as if she were standing right in front of him. “I am sorry to bother you, but we have just received some information that we must act upon immediately. Please come to the command center as soon as you can.”

He frowned as Alina’s face disappeared. He wondered what kind of information they had gotten that would cause this kind of urgency.

Well, he supposed he would find out soon enough. He stopped his swinging, then headed up to the Castle.

All of the other Paladins were gathered in the command center by the time Leandro arrived. Petra walked over to say hello, while Hayach and Curran were staring intently at a tablet. Alina and Hoshi were conversing quietly with one another, while Dante and Akira were ---

He came up short as he caught sight of his partner.

Akira must have come directly from the garage. He had on one of his customary black t-shirts, but the sleeves were cut off, and Leandro got a taste of those biceps that Akira had kept hidden thus far. And, everywhere Leandro looked, there was grease. His partner’s hands were totally black, and his face and both arms had grease smudges all over them. His gray-violet eyes stood out starkly from his suddenly darker skin.

Leandro had seen the other man when he was disheveled. Hell, he saw him drenched in sweat every single day for at least an hour, sometimes more. But, for some reason, this made Akira look human. Not that cool, heartless robot that he normally projected, but _human._ He looked like any man who had just finished up at work and was looking for a way to unwind. He looked like someone Leandro might have sat next to at a bar.

This, Leandro decided, was his favorite version of Akira; this dirty-but-don’t-care man in his combat boots and sleeveless t-shirt and covered in grease.

Though, if he was being honest with himself, he would like Akira even more if he wore less clothing and more skin.

Petra nudged him with her elbow. “Pick your jaw up off the floor, Romeo.”

He tilted his head towards her, but did not take his eyes off of the other man. He watched, almost hungrily, as Akira crossed his arms across his chest, making those delicious biceps flex. “Hmmm?”

“You’re staring,” she murmured to him, a grin on her face. “Actually, I think you might be _oogling_.”

He let out a gasp at this, finally turning to look at his friend. “I was _not,”_ he said indignantly. “Well, I may have been staring --- though, who came blame me? _That_ is a masterpiece of the male species, thank you very much --- but I most certainly was _not_ oogling. I, my dear lady, _never_ oogle.”

She patted him on the arm. “Whatever you say, _Loverboy.”_

He opened his mouth to retort (no way was he letting her have the last word on this), but was interrupted by the sound of Alina clapping her hands together. “Thank you, Paladins, for coming together on such short notice. I know many of you were busy, and I am sorry to have to pull you away from your duties. But the information we have obtained _must_ be acted on as soon as possible.” She gestured to Curran and Hayach.

It was Hayach who spoke first. “Remember those Juicers we talked about a while back? Well, it looks like they’ve been joining forces Supposedly they have set up a base of operations here in the Outskirts. Our sources tell us that they have planned a massive raid on the area.” He paused. “Tonight.”

“That sounds ominous,” Leandro murmured. Louder, he asked “What kind of raid are they planning, exactly?”

“According to the chatter Petra has been monitoring, they plan to sweep through the Outskirts in an attempt to flush out the Neon City Outlaws.” He pointed a finger at Akira, then at Leandro. “They mean you two.”

Leandro looked over at Akira, who was looking back at him. Leandro imagined that he must look just as confused as Akira. “The _who?”_

“The Neon City Outlaws,” Hayach replied with a grin. “Pretty catchy, huh? Someone in the chat rooms came up with it, and it’s stuck.”

“This raid will be a bloodbath,” Alina interjected, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand. “We’ve been told that shops are closing early and that the residents have been seeking shelter elsewhere. I’m afraid that anyone left in the Outskirts will be in great danger tonight. We _must_ stop this from happening.”

“How many Juicers are we talking?” Akira asked in a wary tone.

Curran tapped at his tablet, then swiped his finger up so that he could share his screen. “We know for a fact that Juicers have gathered at an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the Wastes. We have managed to hack the security cameras outside of it. The video quality is absolutely terrible, but so far we have managed to identify at least seventy different individuals.”

Leandro let out a long, low whistle. “That’s a lot of Juicers for just two people to handle. Have you ever tried to fight one when they’re juiced? Seventy Juicers hyped up on quintessence is the equivalent to a large army.” He turned to look at his partner. “What do you think, Samurai? You’ve been working with me for almost two weeks now. You know what you and I are both capable of. Do you think we can do this?”

‘Hopefully, you won’t have to,” Alina answered instead. “We just need to cause a distraction, something that will keep them off of the streets.”

He raised an eyebrow at this. “Let me guess: another bomb?”

She shrugged, not looking the least bit ashamed. “You have to admit that setting their headquarters on fire would certainly be distracting.”

“Besides, it’s not like you’ll have to do it yourself.” Petra’s tone was smug. “I’ve been able to give the Rovers some pretty sweet upgrades since we came here, and you can use one of them to deliver the bomb for you.” She grinned. “Destruction from a distance.”

Hoshi was looking at the flickering security footage thoughtfully. “What does the surrounding area look like? Is there anywhere they can safely dispatch the Rover from?”

Curran pulled up another screen. “There are several buildings in the area, almost all of them abandoned. A few of them have been corroded by the Wastes, but most of them are still structurally sound.”

Akira’s brother rubbed his chin for a moment. “Petra, when you say ‘destruction from a distance’, how much distance are we talking?”

“Twelve or thirteen hundred feet at least. We’ve never really had any reason to test it further than that.”

“All right. I’ll take a team to the area and find a suitable location for them to set up.”

But Alina was already shaking her head. “There is no time. The raid is supposed to happen tonight. If we have any hopes of stopping it, we have to act _now._ And we can’t risk tipping the Juicers off to our plan.”

“No.” Hoshi’s voice was hard, leaving no room for arguments. “This is non-negotiable, Alina. If you expect me to agree with sending my brother --- or Leo --- into a hostile situation without doing recon first, then you are greatly mistaken. You will either make time, or the mission will be a no-go.”

The Altean held up her hands in a placating gesture. “I promise that I am not sending them in blind and unprepared. We have access to every security camera in both the Outskirts and the Neon City. I was going to suggest that you and Dante look through all of the feeds to see if you can find a suitable location that way. That also means that you will be able to watch them in real time when they leave.” She lowered her hands. “I know this is not ideal, but it was the best I could come up with on such short notice.”

The elder Kogane stared at her for a several moments, his hesitation evident, before offering her a stiff nod. “Very well. We’ll make it work.”

“Can I at least take a shower first?” Akira called out. “If I’m going to be blowing things up, I would at least like to wash all of this grease off first.”

 _Please say no,_ Leandro thought in Alina’s direction. He rather relished the idea of having to cling onto the other man while he was dressed down and dirty. Maybe he could finally get his hands on Akira’s arms, find out just how strong they really were. _Please say no._

“Of course you can,” she said, causing Leandro to pout in disappointment. “We have a little time yet. We decided that twilight would be the best time to execute our plan. Hopefully, they will all be too busy preparing for the raid ahead that they won’t be paying any attention to their surroundings.” She clapped her hands together once more. “All right, Paladins. Finish up whatever tasks you may need to, then return in three hours ready to go.”

When Akira returned to the command center, he was feeling much more like a paladin and less like a walking grease stain. He had taken a shower and managed to scrub most of the gunk off of his body (he had just come to terms with the fact that he would never be able to get it completely out from under his nails). His skin was clean, and he was wearing clothes that weren’t filthy and smelled of motor oil. He had pulled on his shoulder harness for his sword and had slid his favorite katana into it’s sheath on his back. As always, his mother’s blade was strapped to his back within easy reach. He also had two throwing knives tucked into his boots.

His eyes scanned over the room, picking out each member of the team. Hoshi and Dante were gathered behind a cluster of monitors, heads close as they spoke in hushed tones. Leandro was speaking to Hayach, who had his head thrown back in a laugh His partner --- he still couldn’t make himself call him Leo, no matter how many times the other man asked --- was grinning broadly. He had thrown on the same leather duster that he had worn when the two of them had made their wild escape from the Galra, and his blast pistols were in their holsters around his thighs.

Unbidden, his mind flashed back to that day in the alley when he had blindly reached for one of those blasters, his fingers skimming along Leandro’s thigh. His fingers tingled at the memory, and he had to fight the urge to shake his hand out.

“Hey, Akira! Whatcha looking at?”

He jumped at the sound of the voice suddenly coming from his side. Looking down, he saw Petra standing next to him with a mischievous grin spread across her face. “What?”

“You were staring at something awfully hard,” she said as she adjusted her glasses.

“Why would you --- I’m not ---” He turned his face away before she could see his blush. _Damn it. She’s just as bad as Leandro!_ “I was just thinking. That’s all.”

“Thinking about anything in particular?” her tone was innocent, but the glint in her eyes was far too knowing for his liking

He glared down at her, refusing to rise to her bait. “Did you need something?”

She held his gaze for a bit longer before holding out a hand. “Here. These are for you.”

“Googles?” he said, looking at the item dangling from her fingers. “Thanks, but I already have a pair.”

“Not like these, you don’t. They are based off of the ones I made for Leo. You can command them with your eye movements. And these have night vision!”

“Hey! That’s not fair. How come _his_ are nicer than mine?”

They both turned to see Leandro standing at their side, hands on his hips, lower lip stuck out in a pout. Akira had to avert his gaze from that lip, because it would send his mind off in a direction that he could not afford to let it go.

“Yours are perfectly fine, Leo. Besides, Akira needs these more than you do, since he’ll be the one driving. There aren’t a lot of street lights in that area, so if you guys have to make a quick exit in the dark, he’ll need these to be able to see.” She lifted her hand higher. “Here. Try them on.”

He took them and slid them over his eyes. “Walk me through this.”

She did, explaining the different eye movements and the coordinating actions. She showed him how to switch from regular to night vision by closing his eyes for thirty seconds. By the time he finally pushed them up into his hair he was thoroughly impressed and told her so.

She beamed at him. “Thanks! We can also track these, so if anything happens, try to keep these on you so we can find you.”

“You’ll have these, too.” Alina had joined their group and was holding out a hand each to Akira and Leandro. In her palms lay two small, black… dots. “They go in your ears,” she explained, noting their looks of confusion. “We will be able to talk to you through these. Hoshi and Dante will be monitoring your progress on the cameras and can use these to guide you around any obstacles that might arise. Petra and Hayach well be watching the chat rooms and can inform you of any updates.”

The two men take the devices and place them in their ears. Akira was afraid they would block out all other sound but, to his surprise, they didn’t seem to bother his hearing at all.

“Aren’t they amazing?” Petra said excitedly, eyes sparkling with fierce pride. “Hayach designed them! They are programmed to match natural sound waves so that you can still hear everything around you.”

Akira’s eyes went wide, and he turned to face his best friend. “Hayach, these are _brilliant!_ Why didn’t you tell me you were working on these?”

The other man looked uncharacteristically bashful. “I wanted to make sure that they would work first. I’ve been working on them for a few months now, and didn’t finish the protype until a week or so ago.”

Akira raised a fist towards him. “You’re a genius, Hayach. As always.”

Hayach’s face broke into a wide, beaming grin, and he reached out to bump the proffered fist with his own. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. I just hope they work for you guys.”

“I have no doubt that they will,” Akira replied, clapping the bigger man on the shoulder. He was insanely proud of Hayach. His friend was the smartest person he had ever met, and he knew that the ear pieces would work flawlessly.

Now Hoshi and Dante were joining them. “We’ve found a spot for you to set up,” the elder Kogane said. “From everything we’ve seen, it will put you in range for the Rover, but far enough away that they shouldn’t be able to see you.”

“Can you send me the coordinates?”

His brother grinned at him. “Already did. They’ll be on your wrist comm. Plus, we’ll be able to direct you through the ear pieces.”

Akira was not used to this. Whenever he went out on solo missions he never met with anyone prior. Alina would just send him the mission details, then debrief him once he returned. This idea of having support --- of having a _team_ \--- was totally foreign to him. If he was honest, he quite liked it. He liked the idea that someone would know if things went sideways and could come and pull his ass out of the fire if need be.

And having Leandro with him…. He was a little apprehensive about this mission, as he had never worked with a partner before, and he wasn’t sure how things would go. But --- and he would never admit this to anyone, not even Hayach ---- he was excited. Leandro was a capable fighter; he had seen that first hand. He was also a decent shot. The only question now would be how well they worked together.

They were as ready as they could possibly be. After saying goodbye to everyone --- and making several promises to be careful --- the two men headed down to the garage. As the elevator car made its decent, Leandro gave him one of his trademark grins. “Nice sword you got there, Samurai,” he said in a suggestive voice.

Akira crossed his arms over his chest as he fought hard not to blush. Petra had tuned him to his partner’s game --- scoring rules and all --- and he had decided to try and play back. Sure, he had no idea how to flirt --- he’d never really had to before --- but he did his best to think like Leandro. “I think my sword might be a bit too much for you to handle, Sharpshooter.”

For a moment, nothing happened.

And then the most beautiful thing Akira had ever witnessed happened. Leandro blushed _._ Leandro Sanchez, the self-proclaimed Loverboy Leo, actually _blushed._

Akira knew what he looked like when he blushed, and it was not pretty. His face turned red and splotchy, like a teenager with bad acne. But Leandro blushed _beautifully._ His eyes went wide, and his cheeks became s dark shade of rose. 

Akira couldn’t keep his lips from turning up into a smirk. And, when Leandro started to stutter, unable to respond, his smirk grew into a grin.

_Two points to me._

He had flirted.

_Akira had actually flirted._

He never would have expected this from the other man. He had been flirting with Akira --- outrageously so --- every single day for nearly two weeks now, and his partner had never once done anything other than blush and jumble his words. He had never even _tried_ to flirt back, not even once. 

He hadn’t been able to resist getting one more jab in before the mission officially started. He had been so sure that his not-so-subtle innuendo would leave his partner’s face as red as his motorcycle, especially as he would have to contend with the fact that Leandro would have his arms wrapped around him the entire trip.

He had been so sure of Akira’s reaction that Leandro had not even _entertained_ the thought that the other man might actually flirt back. When it had happened, he had been so shocked that he had not been able to control his own response. And, as they were currently in an elevator, he’d had no way of hiding it.

Stars, how long had it been since someone had flirted with _him?_ He had always been the instigator, the one who controlled the game. He could start or stop it any time he wanted to. He was anle to use his charm and sheer force of personality to simply bowl any potential lover over. But now Akira, his newest target, was playing back. And his own innuendo (and, Gods help him, that _smirk_ ) was making Leandro’s brain go down roads he hadn’t previously known existed.

Also, Akira had given him a nickname. _Sharpshooter,_ he’d called him. The realization that his partner had taken the time to come up with a nickname that was personal to him, that it mimicked the nickname Leandro had bestowed upon _him,_ left a warm sensation in his stomach. _Sharpshooter._ He loved it.

They exited the elevator and made their way to Red. Akira stopped by his workshop long enough to don his jacket, mask, and gloves. Then he was straddling the bike, and Leandro was sliding on behind him, pressing his body close, wrapping his arms around the other man’s waist.

Akira tilted his head so that he could look at Leandro over his shoulder, his brilliant eyes magnified by the goggles. “You ready?” he called.

Leandro felt a wide grin stretch across his face. His heart began to beat faster as the adrenaline kicked in, and he tightened his grip on Akira’s waist. “Hell, yes.”

His partner turned back around and twisted the key in the ignition, causing the bike to roar to life beneath them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave comments and constructive criticism. Also, leave ideas! I love hearing what other people think. Also, I am very inspired by music, so if you think of a song that you feel would really fit this story, please share it with me!


	9. The Arena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Outlaws embark on their first mission, and Akira realizes that he must trust his partner if they are both to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys! Neon City Outlaws has over 600 hits! 600! When I first started writing this, I thought I would be happy to get 50. I knew that Leakira was way past its prime, but it was something I NEEDED to write, so I thought it would mostly fly under the radar. So the fact that we are over 600 is just astounding. Thank you all SO much for giving this story a chance!
> 
> This is the first pivotal chapter of the story, and I had a lot of fun with it. It's certainly my favorite so far. There is no more stopping this roller coaster ride. We are well past the point of no return. :)

_Keep him safe._

The words echoed through Akira’s mind as they wove their way through the streets of the Outskirts. Hayach had been right: almost all of the shops were already closed, and most of the homes they passed were dark. It seemed as though most of the inhabitants were either hiding in their dark abodes, or had sought shelter elsewhere. Akira desperately hoped that he and Leandro would be able to stop the Juicers before they could cause any harm.

_Keep him safe._

Those words had been spoken just two days ago. One of the Deliverance members had managed to steal one of the Galra’s skiffs, and Alina had wanted it taken apart and studied. So she had sent Petra down to the garage to help Akira with the task.

Akira had discovered that he quite liked the young woman. She had come to him the day after she and Leandro had arrived at the Castle and told him, quite bluntly, that she didn’t blame him for anything. They had quickly settled into a friendship, and he was thankful for her calm presence when Leandro’s boisterousness got to be too much for him.

They had managed to take the skiff apart and remove the engine. They were taking a break, sitting in Akira’s workshop and drinking from their water pouches, when Petra had spoken up.

“Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure.”

She was sitting on his desk, legs swinging back and forth, feet a few inches from the floor. “I know you didn’t ask to be partnered with Leo. I know you prefer to work alone --- Hayach told me --- but I’m glad Alina gave him to you. He needs someone to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn’t do something stupid.”

Akira’s eyebrows furrowed at this. “What do you mean?”

“He’s…” She paused, scrunching her nose as she searched for the right words. “He’s reckless. He has a tendency to do dangerous things without thinking. He just kind of _throws_ himself at it.”

Akira felt something cold clench at his heart. “He’s… He’s not… you know, trying to…” He found that he couldn’t force himself to say the words.

“What, kill himself?” Petra let out a scoff as she shook her head. “No. That boy loves life more than anyone I have ever met. And I think _that_ is the problem. I think he wants to experience everything life has to offer, to _feel_ alive.”

 _Ah._ Akira understood _that_ feeling well. He felt that way himself every single time he went on a mission. When he was running from the Galra, when he was flying down the streets at speeds that were slightly faster than safe. Hoshi called him an adrenaline junkie, and Akira supposed that he was. He still craved that rush, still sought it out when and where he could. “Is that the favor? Stopping him from being reckless? I can’t do that, Petra. I’m not his mother.”

“ _Ha!_ I’m pretty sure even his mother wouldn’t be able to stop him at this point. No. I don’t want you to stop him. He would hate you if you did that, and I don’t want that for either of you. I just want you to look out for him, okay? Keep him safe. Please.”

That he could do. Well, at least _try_ to do.

“I’ve never seen the Outskirts this quiet,” Leandro said into his ear, bringing Akira back to the task at hand. “It’s… unsettling.”

As they reached the edges of the Outskirts, streetlights became almost non-existent, and Akira was thankful that the others had decided to start the mission before the sun had completely set. He wasn’t as familiar with this area, and he was glad he had light to see by.

“Take the next right.” Hoshi’s voice came through his earpieces. “The road ahead is blocked by some debris.”

Akira did as his brother instructed, slowing as he turned onto a side street whose pavement was cracked and full of holes that would cause his bike to flip if he hit them going faster than a crawl.

There was a reason why this part of the Outskirts had been abandoned: the Wastes were corrosive. Thanks to the planet’s rotation and proximity to this solar system’s sun, there was a large area that was constantly bombarded by solar flares and radiation. It was an absolute wasteland. Akira knew that there were people who made fortunes delivering goods across the Wastes, and had even heard dumors that there were a few hardy folk who actually lived out there.

In typical Galra fashion, the leaders of Neon City were determined to conquer the Wastes since they already had the rest of the planet. They threw everything they had at trying to make the area hospitable. They put their best scientists onto the task, trying to come up with shielding technology or new building materials that could withstand the environmental punishment. After months of trial and error, they had finally started the construction process, planning on extending the city’s borders outward.

It hadn’t lasted long. The Galra had been able to shield everything from the flares and radiation, but not from the violent solar storms that sometimes swept through the area. One particularly nasty storm had caused two of the nearly completed structures to collapse, crushing two of the workers (both of whom had been slaves). The Galra had tried to start the project again, but another storm had come through a few months later, causing the rest of the buildings to fall. The Galra had abandoned the idea after that.

Some of the more lawless individuals of the Outskirts had moved out to the areas where the Outskirts met the Wastes, knowing that there was a much less likely chance of being discovered by the Galra. But even most of them had retreated as more and more of the structures crumbled underneath the solar onslaught. 

Akira wasn’t worried about the radiation. They hopefully wouldn’t be out here long enough to be in any danger, and they were close enough to the ground that direct exposure would be minimal. He was more concerned about debris and other things that could potentially fall on them.

He continued down the street, deftly swerving around large holes and fallen objects. He felt Leandro’s arms tighten around him as he took a particularly sharp turn, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Take the second right up ahead,” Hoshi called out, his voice calm and even. “The road looks to be clear from here on out. You should reach your destination in about ten minutes.”

Akira followed his brother’s instructions, grateful to have his soothing voice guiding him. He was also grateful for the body pressed against his back. Not just because it felt good (and it very much did), but because it meant he wasn’t alone.

He would never admit it ---- not to Hoshi, not to Alina, not even to himself --- but he was afraid every time he went on a mission. Sure, his first prison raid had been wild and careless. But he’d been young and brash, trying to prove a point. Now, when he went out, he was careful and cautious. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if _this_ time --- _this_ mission --- would be his last.

He didn’t want to die. He quite enjoyed his life. He knew that what he was doing was important, and, if he were to die in the line of duty, he knew it would be worth it. But that didn’t mean he had any intentions of being a martyr for the cause.

Now he had a partner. Someone to help him, someone who could watch his back. The thought of that made him feel better than he ever had when going out on a mission.

Something flashed above his right wrist. Canting his eyes to the side, he saw that his comm display was up, a large red dot blinking in the middle of it. “That’s your destination,” Hoshi informed him. “You’re about two minutes out.”

“I don’t see anyone near the launch site.” That was Dante, his voice as patient and steady as always. “There doesn’t seem to be any unusual movement at the Juicers’ headquarters either. It appears as though you are safe for now.”

Akira slowed down as the red dot on his display became closer. “There,” Hoshi said softly. “Just ahead and to your right. Do you see it?”

He did: a small structure that had been reduced to what appeared to be an outside wall and a small chunk of side wall. It wasn’t the best cover Akira had ever used, but it would be enough to hide them. Plus, there was a hole in the outside wall where a window had once been, and he was willing to bet that it would give them a view of the warehouse the Juicers were using.

Akira cut Red’s engine and coasted the rest of the way to the small structure. Leandro quickly climbed off of the bike, pulling his brown leather bag over his head as he moved to kneel by the window. As Akira watched, his partner opened the bag and pulled out a familiar-looking metal triangle.

He had heard about the Rovers. Petra had regaled the team at lunch one day with the tale of how she had managed to capture one of the Galra’s security drones and reprogram it for her own use. He knew that the thing Leandro now held in his hands was harmless. But still. He had to fight the urge to hurl one of his throwing knives at it.

He quickly made his way over to the other side of the window, crouching down as well. He carefully lifted his head above the edge of the opening, squinting both of his eyes so that the goggles could zoom in on his target.

The warehouse the Juicers were using didn’t appear to be in much better shape than their own shelter, a large portion of it corroded away. But chunks of each wall remained standing, as well as a good bit of the roof. He couldn’t see inside --- even with the goggles’ help it was still too far away --- but he could see several large motorcycles parked outside, many of them covered with what looked like wickedly-sharp metal spikes. A small group of men, six or seven, were standing outside.

He ducked back down. “There’s a few of them standing outside talking,” he murmured. ‘”here’s no way they won’t notice the Rover. There are no Galra drones this far outside of the city. They’ll know something is up.”

Leandro offered him a sharp grin, blue eyes bright with excitement. “Then we’ll just have to make sure they don’t notice it until it’s too late.”

Akira could feel his own grin forming. He couldn’t help it: Leandro’s excitement was infectious. “What do you need me to do?”

“Keep an eye on them. If anything looks off, let me know. And get ready to haul ass.”

Akira nodded, then peeked back out over the edge.

“No, no, no.” Petra’s voice was suddenly in his ear, startling him. “Not like _that,_ Leo. If you attach it like that it won’t disengage from the Rover properly. Attach it the _other_ way. Remember? Face out!”

“I’ll put _your_ face out,” Leandro grumbled since Petra couldn’t hear him. Akira bit the inside of his cheek to hold back a laugh, watching as his partner followed the instructions. A moment later, the drone lifted into the air.

“All right, now.” That was Petra again. “Nice and easy.”

Leandro let out a huff of air. “Thank you, Petra,” he said in a childish tone as he used a small controller to steer the Rover slowly through the window. “I’ve never done this before.”

The little robot was halfway to its intended target when movement caught Akira’s eyes. Squinting, he saw one of the Juicers striding away from the group and climbing onto one of the motorcycles. Faintly, he could make out the sound of the bike’s engine roaring to life.

“Looks like one of them is leaving,” he said, tilting his head towards his partner. “I doubt he’s heading towards us --- there’s no direct route between them and us --- but we need to be ready to move just in case.”

“Two more minutes,” Leandro replied, eyes focused on the task in front of him. “We’re too close to stop now. Besides, we can handle one Juicer between the two of us.”

Akira wanted to argue --- Leandro was the one who kept saying he didn’t want to get close enough to anyone to actually fight them --- but Hoshi’s voice stopped him. “We’ll keep an eye on that Juicer. If he looks like he’s going to be a problem we’ll let you know. Just focus on the mission, then get out of there.”

 _Focus._ Akira hated that word. He felt as though everyone was always telling him to focus, as though by doing so he could solve all of his problems. Hoshi even had a favorite mantra that he often repeated: “Patience yields focus”. The problem was that Akira had never had much patience, which meant that focusing was out of the question. Especially now, when he wasn’t actually _doing_ anything.

So he decided to change that; he got to his feet and moved so that he was standing with his back directly towards Leandro, reaching back to free his katana. If the Juicer did happen to come their way, at least Akira would be ready for him.

“What are you doing?” Leandro called out.

“Watching your back.” He adjusted his grip on the sword. “How much longer do you need?”

Before Leandro could reply, Dante was in their ears. “You’ve got incoming. It looks like he’s doing a perimeter check. He’ll be at your location in about three minutes.”

“I just need another minute,” Leandro reported. “I’m almost there.”

Akira didn’t need to ask what was going on through the window. He could hear the faintest sounds of shouting. The Rover must have been spotted.

He quickly re-sheathed his sword and strode over to his bike. “Let’s go,” he said, climbing on and reaching for the key.

“Just another minute.” Leandro’s voice sounded determined. “The Rover is almost to the drop point.”

“That Juicer has sped up.” Dante’s voice was still calm, but it had grown tight. “He’ll reach you in under two minutes at this speed.”

“ _Leandro…”_ His voice was a growl.

“Two more seconds! I’m just ---”

“There’s more of them coming outside now.” Hoshi’s voice had taken on a grim tone. “They have guns. If you don’t ---”

“ _Done!”_ Leandro cried. As he scrambled to his feet, throwing the controller for the Rover into his bag at the same time, Akira turned on Red’s engine. He closed his eyes and, by the time his partner had clambered on behind him, his goggles had switched to night vision. “Hang on!” he shouted.

Just as he began to move forward, the sound of the explosion boomed in the distance. He felt Leandro tuck his face against Akira’s neck in an attempt to shield himself, and he shot forward into the rapidly-darkening night just as the shockwave reached them.

The world around him was lit up in shades of white and green. He could see _everything_ better now than even in the middle of a sunny day. He grinned, feeling that familiar rush of adrenaline kick in as he urged Rd to go even faster.

When he had been a boy, he’d dreamt of being a pilot, just like his mother. He could still vividly remember her taking him to the flight hangars to show him all of the different craft that she flew. His father would put Akira on his shoulders andrun as fast as he could while Akira held out his arms and made noises that vaguely resembled jet engines. And, at night, the entire Kogane family would go outside and look up at the stars while Hoshi and Akira’s parents would tell them about all of the different worlds that were out there. Akira had wanted to visit them all.

He’d never gotten the chance, of course. The Galra had seen to that. He would never become a pilot, never explore worlds outside of his own. But sometimes, when he was on the back of Red, he felt like he was flying. _This_ is what he lived for, what made him feel alive: the wind in his hair, the world rushing by at dangerous speeds, walking that fine line between being _good_ and being _stupid._ Sometimes, he even imagined that his mother was there with him, laying her hands over his to help him steer.

He guided the bike like it was made of water instead of several hundred pounds f metal. He wove them around holes in the pavement and fallen debris like it was nothing, Petra’s goggles lighting his surroundings with crystal clarity. Only the body against his back and the voices in his ears kept him grounded.

“Looks like the bomb hit true!” Hoshi whooped in their ears. “The roof collapsed, taking a lot of the Juicers with it --- and good riddance, too. But nearly all of the ones who were outside escaped the blast and are now chasing you. From what we can tell, you have about five of them after you.”

Akira could feel Leandro cursing against his back, and he couldn’t help but agree. One Juicer would have been doable. Not easy, but doable. Five, on the other hand, would be impossible for the two of them to fight and survive. Their only option would be to outrun them. He was sure they could. Red could outrun _anything._ All they had to do was ---

A shout over the earpieces was the only warning he got before something hot and bright whizzed by his face, alarmingly close. It smashed into a crumbled wall some yards ahead of them, punching a hole through the material and sending it scattering in every direction. Akira swore and ducked his head.

That had been a blast pistol shot. _Damn._ How had they managed to get close enough to shoot at them? There was no way their bikes were faster than Red. _Nothing_ was faster than Red. But if their motorcycles weren’t faster, then…

When the realization hit him, he couldn’t hold back a groan. Of course. The Juicers weren’t going faster. _He_ was going _slower._ He always rode Red alone, and the two of them could outrun anything. But having a passenger meant having extra weight, and extra weight meant Red couldn’t go as fast.

 _Think, Kogane._ There had to be a way out of this. There was _always_ a way out. He just had to find it.

Leandro shifted behind him, and suddenly the other man’s chin was on his shoulder, his mouth at Akira’s ear. “Can we make it back to the Outskirts? I have an idea, but we need clear roads.”

Akira shook his head, never taking his eyes from the road. “Too risky,” he shouted in reply.

“The Outskirts are empty, remember? Everyone is in hiding. So, unless you have a better idea…”

He didn’t. And Leandro was right; the Outskirts _were_ empty. “What are you planning to do?”

The other man’s face was close enough to his skin that Akira could feel Leandro’s lips turn up into a smile. “Something… reckless.”

He didn’t know how he felt about that. But they didn’t have a lot of options at the moment. And at least Akira would be there to temper him. So he pushed Red as far as he dared, heading back to the Outskirts.

Even without the threat of the Juicers this area of the Outskirts was mostly uninhabited, as it sat too close to the area affected by the Wastes. But the roads were still in good shape, and --- more importantly --- Akira knew it. “Is this clear enough?” he called back.

“Perfect!”

Suddenly, the arms around his waist were gone, and he could feel his partner shifting, causing the bike to wobble precariously. He tightened his grip, steadying her, as he felt --- was that Leandro’s _back?_ \---press against his. He spared a glance at his sideview mirror ---

And felt his eyes widen in shock.

Leandro had somehow managed to turn himself completely around --- _while on a moving motorcycle ---_ so that he was now facing backwards. He had drawn both of his pistols and was pointing them at the oncoming Juicers.

He was planning on shooting them. While on the back of a motorcycle clocking speeds that were far past legal. With nothing to hold on to.

Petra had assured him that Leandro wasn’t suicidal, just reckless. But now Akira couldn’t help but wonder if she had been wrong. Surely no sane man would think this was a good idea.

But then he heard a loud shout from behind them, and he could feel the muscles in Leandro’s back shift as he pulled both triggers. A few seconds later, Akira was able to make out the sounds of screeching metal and shattering glass. Another glance in the mirror gave Akira a glimpse of a motorcycle on its side, spinning across the pavement.

Okay. So Leandro was reckless. But his plan had _worked._ Which meant that, as his partner, it was Akira’s responsibility to give him the best chance of success.

He pulled up his mental map of the area, considering --- and just as quickly discarding --- multiple routes. He knew every inch of the Outskirts, had spent years learning every twist and turn, every shortcut, every hidden niche. Now he needed to use that knowledge to find a way to give Leandro the best chance of taking out their remaining pursuers. And, if it came down to it, a place where they could have a fair fight.

_Ah._

“Don’t fall off!” he called over his shoulder, hoping that the other man could hear him. He tried not to think about the fact that Leandro was staying on the bike only by the strength of his thighs. _Please don’t fall off._

He took a hard left, the turn just sharp enough to cause Leandro to let out a yelp as he struggled to stay on the bike. Akira took them down a narrow alleyway that would force the Juicers to ride single file, and would hopefully give Leandro a clear shot at them.

He could feel Leandro’s back push against his, and then the tell-tale movement of muscles that told Akira that his partner was firing his pistols. He heard someone yelling in his ears --- he couldn’t tell whose voice it was --- and the only word he could make out was “ _Duck!”_ A second later, a bolt flew over his head and disappeared harmlessly into the night.

Okay. So the narrowness of the alley meant that _they_ had a clear shot at them as well. And there were at least four Juicers left, all of whom probably had guns.

Fine. He could revise his plan.

At the end of the alley he turned right. This would take him back to the area where the Outskirts butted up against the Wastes. They would have to dip back into the radiation for a moment, back into the debris and crumbling roads, but it would be worth it. At least, he hoped it would. 

Behind him, Leandro continued to fire when he had an opening. Even though Leandro had no idea what Akira was doing, the other man was _trusting_ him to do what was needed to complete the mission and to keep them both safe. This realization made something warm settle into Akira’s chest. He couldn’t let his partner down.

He left the main road, taking a street that had been reduced to little more than gravel. He wove around the corpse of a car that had been abandoned to the elements --- he had always planned to rescue it --- and took another turn down what had once been a service alley. Then, in a move that he hoped would throw the Juicers off, he turned Red to go through a door and into a building.

He had done this a million times, dashing through here to elude pursuers. The building was abandoned, but was still mostly intact. He had spent months cleaning out the debris so that he could use it as either a shortcut or a hiding place.

Now he used it as a means to slow the Juicers down, to give the two of them some breathing room. Maybe Leandro would be able to take another one of them out.

They were almost to the exit when he heard Leandro let out another whoop. He must have hit another target. Akira felt a fierce grin spread across his face. _Only three left to go._ Their odds were improving.

He burst through the front door and back out into the blasted landscape. He steered them towards a large pile of rubble, throttling the engine as he raced towards it. He could hear Hoshi telling Leandro to hold on.

Then Akira hit the pile of rubble. Or, more accurately, the carefully placed pieces of metal he had laid down to form a pathway _over_ the rubble. They shot upwards, never losing speed, so that when they crested the top of the pile there was a brief moment where they were airborne. When the tires came back down with a _thump,_ it was Akira who let loose a shout of excitement.

They made it down the other side in one piece, and Akira took them towards another of his hideouts: a rusting hulk of a city bus. This would allow them to double back, then he could hit the last alley before taking them to the place that he had dubbed The Arena. It was there that he hoped they would be able to take out any remaining Juicers.

The bus had been left in the middle of the street when this part of the town had been abandoned to the Wastes. This meant that the three remaining Juicers would either have to ride single file or split up to make it through the wreck.

He angled Red towards the gaping hole in the side of the bus, it’s doors long gone. Akira had removed the steps and placed a ramp there instead, making it easy to get up into the main area of the bus. He’d also gotten rid of all the seats, leaving the inside totally empty, which meant that the area was large enough for Red to fit through with no problems.

He barreled through it now, bursting out of the back end, and heading towards a small opening to the right. It curved inwards, leading to an alley that was dangerously narrow. They turned down it with ease, and a moment later Akira heard the distinct sounds of a crash. Another Juicer had fallen.

Akira felt a wild grin spread across his face. They were down to two. Two of them, two Juicers. They could work with that.

The alley dumped them out into a large area that was closed in on three sides by towering structures, the only exit being the alley that they had just came through. This was where they would make their stand.

He quickly pulled Red over into a dark corner (where she would hopefully go unnoticed by their foes) and quickly cut the engine. In the distance, they could hear the sound of shouting as the remaining Juicers tried to find a way around their fellow’s wreckage. “Are you all right?” he asked, twisting around so that he could look at his partner.

Leandro barked out a laugh as he slid off of the bike. “Are you kidding me? This is the best night of my life!” He lifted his blast pistols. “What’s the plan?”

Akira opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of roaring engines getting closer. He leapt up from Red, his hand going for his katana. “Survive,” was his snarled answer.

The Juicers came bursting into the clearing then, both going full speed. The first one, not realizing where he was, had no time to slow down and slammed into the back wall at a speed that no one could survive. The second one cranked his bike hard to the side and laid it down, skidding across the ground before stopping just short of the back wall.

Akira moved to stand beside Leandro, gripping his sword tight. Both men stared at the downed bike, not knowing if the driver was dead or still alive and able to move.

As they watched, the bike shifted, moving just a little as the man underneath it tried to push it off of him. Then the bike was suddenly flying upwards, sailing through the air before crashing a few feet away.

Akira couldn’t hold back the quick inhalation of breath at this display of strength. That bike had to weigh more than he and Leandro combined. And this man had just thrown it off of him as thought it was nothing more than a blanket.

And, as he got to his feet, Akira could see why.

He had not had to deal with Juicers very much during his time as the Mechanic. Sure, he knew about them. And he’d seen a few out and about. But never like _this._

This man was _huge._ Not just tall --- though he was that, standing at least a foot taller than Akira --- but was impossibly wide as well. And, in the light of the goggles, he could see lighter shades of green snaking throughout the man’s body. Which meant that ---

“He’s Juiced!” Leandro shouted, lifting his pistols to get off two quick shots, both of which hit the Juicer’s chest and just… disappeared.

 _Shit._ Akira danced backwards, tightening his grip on the katana. He had expected the Juicers to be normal-sized and human. No one had warned him that shooting quintessence into your veins turned you into a fucking tank. And this one appeared to have _plenty_ of quintessence flowing through him.

Leandro was right next to him, pistols still raised as though they might be able to stop the giant before them. “This guy is a lifer,” he explained, head tilted towards Akira, though his eyes never left the Juicer. “You have to be using for a long time to get that big. The good news is that his ride won’t last that long. Bad news is that he can do a lot of serious damage during that ride.”

Of course. Because they couldn’t just fight against a normal Juicer. That would be too easy. “Any idea on how to take this guy down? Shooting him seems to be pointless.”

“Your fancy night vision still working? Good. You’ll want to look for the points where the quintessence is gathering. I can faintly see it through my goggles, but you should have no trouble finding them. Try and hit him there. If we can disrupt the flow of quintessence, it will weaken him.”

Akira was curious to know how his partner knew so much about Juicers. But before he could say anything, the man --- giant? --- in front of them began to laugh. It was an awful sound, like rocks continuously crashing into each other. And, when he spoke, his voice didn’t sound much better.

“So. You are the infamous Neon City Outlaws.” He stared at them for a long moment before spitting, the wad of saliva landing in the dirt just in front of where the two men stood. “Look more like a pair of rats to me. Still, Governor Sendak is willing to pay handsomely for your capture.” He grinned then, showing them a mouth full of broken and jagged teeth. “I suppose I should thank you. Since you took out all of those other idiots, I won’t have to share my reward.”

“I wouldn’t count on all of that Juice just yet,” Leandro called out in that cocky tone of voice that drove Akira insane. “You still have to catch us.”

The Juicer made a humming sound as he fixed his gaze on the taller man. “True. Though I don’t think that will be a problem. The order from Sendak didn’t say I had to bring you in _alive._ Only that I had to bring you in.”

There was a wild light in Leandro’s eyes, and the grin that he was wearing was as sharp as a knife. He still held his pistols out, arms rock steady. “Do you really think it will be so easy? Bringing us in, I mean. There’s two of us and only one of you. And you don’t know who we are. Not really.” He waggled an eyebrow. “Do you think you got what it takes to take down the top assassin for the Deliverance? Hmmm?”

Akira inhaled sharply, his eyes going wide. What was Leandro _doing?_ Akira liked the other man --- liked him a bit more than he was willing to admit --- but he could not let his partner betray his secret. No matter the cost.

He shifted his stance so that he was facing the Juicer head on. _Look for where the quintessence is gathering,_ Leandro had said. Akira studied the giant, looking for any such spot. If he could just ---

“Akira, wait.” Petra’s voice was low in his ears, but the urgency in it caught his attention. “Leandro has a plan. I’m not sure what it is, but he’s not going to betray you. I swear it. Just trust him, okay?”

 _Trust him._ That’s what partners did, right? They trusted each other. Leandro had trusted Akira earlier. The least he could do was return the favor.

The Juicer had an amused sort of expression on his face as he stared down at Leandro. “Are you telling me that _you’re_ the Mechanic?” Even his voice sounded amused. If gravel _could_ sound amused.

“I know, I know. It’s hard to believe that someone as charming and good looking as I am could be a cold-hearted assassin, right?” Leandro ducked his head slightly, as though he were preparing to share a great secret. “Think about it, though. No one has ever _seen_ the Mechanic, right? So how can you be sure it _isn’t_ me?”

The Juicer’s face falls, going from amused to confused, and it’s then that Akira realizes what’s happening: a distraction. Leandro was distracting the big man, keeping his attention focused on him so that Akira could…

Could do what, exactly?

There had been no time to plan when they had reached the arena, no time to assess the situation, to run through different scenarios of how they might take their opponent down. Akira had told Leandro that the goal was simply to survive. But then Leandro had said something else, something about this Juicer’s ride being shorter than most due to his prolonged exposure.

Was that what Leandro was doing? Trying to distract the Juicer until his ride was over and he returned to normal size? But how long would that take? And why would Leandro be doing it on his own? He had to want Akira to do _something._

“ _Your fancy night vision still working?”_ Leandro’s words came floating back to him. And Akira suddenly realized what he was meant to do.

The Juicer was still looking at Leandro in confusion. “The tickers all say that the Mechanic drives the Devil’s Ride. I don’t see anything like that here.”

“You mean Red?” Leandro jerked his chin towards the corner where they had left the bike. “She’s a beaut, right? All custom. Big, and wicked fast. If you’re not hanging on, she can leave skid marks. If you know what I mean.” He winked. He actually _winked_.

This seemed to confuse the big man even more. (Not that Akira could blame the guy. Leandro confused _him_ a lot, too.) “So… You’re telling me that you’re the Mechanic?”

‘That’s right.” The other man’s voice was smug. “The one and only. You sure you still want to take me on?”

The Juicer studied him for a moment longer, then a lazy grin spread across his face. “I don’t believe you. But, if you _are_ telling the truth, I’ll make sure the governor pays me extra for you!”

And then he moved.

Akira would never have believed that someone so big could move so _fast._ The Juicer lunged forward with a roar that shook the buildings around them, one meaty fist raised high in the air. If it had been Akira standing there, he would have been dead. But Leandro had somehow anticipated the move and was already diving out of the way. But the giant’s fist still managed to catch him in the shoulder, and he flew several feet through the air before hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

 _“Leo!”_ The shout was ripped from Akira’s throat as he felt terror grip his heart. He dove forward, sword held high, desperate to do anything to stop their enemy so that he could go to the aid of his partner. He had seen a spot just above the back of the Juicer’s knee where a bright burst of light burned. He aimed for that now, hoping he could cut deep enough to disrupt the quintessence, then have enough time to land another slice to his hamstring. Giant that he was, he was still human. If his hamstring was cut, that leg would be useless.

The point of the sword drove into the gathered quintessence. For a moment, the man’s skin resisted, and Akira remembered that Leandro’s blasts had bounced off of him harmlessly. But then the skin parted, and the sword dug in, the tip of it piercing the spot of quintessence. In the eerie green light of the goggles, he could see the liquid energy drain out of the wound.

The Juicer roared as he stumbled forward, jerking Akira off balance. He tightened his grip on the sword and _pushed,_ forcing the blade down to cut through as much flesh and muscle as possible. When it finally came free, blood and another viscous liquid that Akira assumed was the quintessence splattered onto the ground.

The giant spun around, eyes wide in rage, lips peeled back in a snarl. “You fucking _cockroach,”_ he growled. “I’m going to squash you like --- _Arrgh!”_

He took another stumbling step forward, forcing Akira to skip away so that the big man did not step on him. He cut his eyes to the side to see Leandro standing, his pistols out. From this distance, Akira could see that one side of his partner’s face was covered in dirt and blood. But he was on his feet, and his aim was still steady.

Akira quickly moved to the other man’s side, eyes never leaving the now-howling Juicer. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll make it.” Leandro’s voice was full of pain, but hearing it sent a wave of relief over Akira so vast that it nearly knocked him over. _He’s okay…_

He could feel a fierce grin spread across his face. “Glad to hear it, Sharpshooter.” He nodded towards the Juicer. “Any more bright ideas on how to deal with him?”

“Keep trying to hit those points I told you about. It hurts him. And ---” Leandro let out a hiss of pain and winced. “Shit. I think he broke some ribs.”

“Then we need to keep him away from you.” ‘Akira’s gaze dropped to the Juicer’s bleeding leg, and he thought back to his earlier plan. “Can you distract him again?”

“You got a plan?”

He couldn’t help but throw a wink Leandro’s way. “Yeah, I do.”

“All right, then. One distraction, coming up.” He turned his face towards Akira, and his characteristic grin was in place. ”Kick some ass, Samurai.”

Then he started unloading his pistols into the Juicer.

The big man let out a howl as the blasts tore into him. Most of the shots simply bounced off of him, but a few of them found their marks and caused him to stumble back a step or two. But he was still on his feet, and he was still moving towards Leandro.

Akira ran towards the giant, keeping his body as low to the ground as possible. He reached behind him as he ran to pull out his mother’s blade, triggering it to form into a sword. If he could cut both of the Juicer’s hamstrings at once, he would be totally immobilized. Akira knew it would be hard --- the Juicer’s skin was impossibly thick ---- but he had to try. It was their best chance.

He ran straight towards the man, moving to go around him at the last second to dart behind him and strike out with both blades, using all of his strength to strike at his opponent’s vulnerable hamstrings.

His mother’s blade bit deep into the left calf, the one that he had already injured, and sliced easily through the muscle. The katana, on the other hand, barely scratched the right leg.

The Juicer began to list to the left, but he didn’t go down. Somehow, some _way,_ he kept moving forwards, dragging his mangled leg behind him.

Akira let out a snarl as he ran after the man. He couldn’t let the Juicer get to Leandro, who was already injured and barely standing.

He squinted through the goggles, zooming his sight in in on the Juicer’s back. He found a thread of light on his shoulder and followed it down, hoping it would lead to ---

 _There!_ Just above his right hip. A large, pulsing glow of light. He would have to jump to reach it, but he _had_ to stop the giant before he could reach Akira’s partner.

So he ran, faster than he’d ever ran in his life, re-sheathing his katana as he did so and placing both hands on the hilt of his mother’s sword. He ran directly behind the Juicer, using the big man’s body as a shield against Leandro’s shots. He put on one last burst of speed ---

He leapt, putting all of his strength into the jump, blade held high in a two-handed grip. And when the pool of quintessence was just inches away, he drove the blade down with all of his might.

The blade struck true, burying two inches deep into the Juicer’s back, blood and quintessence spraying out and drenching Akira

The Juicer let out the most unearthly scream Akira had ever heard. He threw his head back, body bowing as he scrabbled at the spot where Akira still clung determinedly to his sword. The big man began to thrash, trying to knock his attacker free. He took a step forward, but forgot that his leg was unable to support any weight, causing it to crumple underneath him. He began to fall forward, a high-pitched keen coming from his throat.

Akira yanked at the sword, pulling it free with a wet, sucking sound before leaping free of the falling body. Hit the ground, rolling to gentle the impact, then sprang back to his feet, his sword held at the ready.

The Juicer was on his hands and knees, chest heaving, visibly trying to push himself back up to his feet. As Akira watched, a massive shudder passed through the man, causing him to let out pained, mewling noises. The vibrations coursing through him became more frequent --- and more violent --- as his cries continued to rise in pitch.

And then he began to _shrink._

It was painful to watch, and must have been even more painful to experience. The sound of bones cracking echoed across the arena, followed by the sound of the Juicer’s howls. The man seemed to be folding in on himself, his back arched sharply, spine pressed starkly against his back.

After a few moments, it stopped, the sudden silence leaving Akira’s ears ringing. He approached the Juicer cautiously, sword point held low on the off chance that this was some kind of trap.

The Juicer now lay on the ground face-first, not moving. He was still bleeding profusely, and he had become smaller. Much, _much_ smaller. Apparently, his ride was finally over.

Akira approached cautiously, gently nudging the body with the toe of his boot. The Juicer didn’t move. Dead or just incapacitated, Akira didn’t know. Nor did he care. The man would no longer pose any kind of threat, and that was all that mattered.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he returned his mother’s blade to its normal size and re-sheathed it, looking around for his partner. “Leo?” he called out when he didn’t see the other man. “ _Leo?”_

A quiet groan was his only answer and he ran towards it, fear rising up in the back of his throat. What had happened? Had Leandro been injured worse than they had originally thought? Had the Juicer fallen on him? Had he been hit a second time without Akira noticing?

He found Leandro sprawled out in the dirt, pistols at his sides. His eyes were closed, and under all of the dirt and blood his face was alarmingly pale.

Akira dropped to his knees at his partner’s side. “Leo?” he called out as he reached for the other man. “Hey, buddy. Come on. I need you to wake up.”

For a moment, the other man didn’t move and Akira felt his panic flare into hot, white life. He started to scrabble to his feet, planning to scoop Leandro up in his arms and race for Red. But then he saw his partner’s eyes start to flutter open. Then he was looking up, blue eyes glassy and full of pai.

Akira had never seen a more beautiful sight in all of his life.

He let out a sigh of relief, a soft smile crossing his face. “Hey there, Sharpshooter. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better.” He held out a hand. “Can you help me up?”

Akira grasped his partner’s hand and reached down to put his free hand on Leandro’s shoulder, helping him into a sitting position. “Easy does it.”

Leandro let out another groan, wincing as he sat up. “Ugh. I think he had concrete in his fist. Or I got ran over by a battle cruiser.” He turned to face Akira, and a smile spread across his face. It was a gentle smile, one that Akira had never seen before. “Hey,” he said in a soft, wonder-filled tone of voice. “You called me Leo.”

Akira blinked at him. “What?”

“I asked you to call me Leo the first day we trained together, remember? But you never have. You are the only one who doesn’t call me that.” His smile widened. “Until now. And you said it multiple times.”

Akira felt his eyes widen briefly as he realized that the other man was right. He’d been so worried for his partner that he hadn’t even realized he was doing it, his carefully maintained caution towards Leandro falling away in his panic. “Huh. Does that mean we’re officially partners now?”

Leandro laughed, but it was quickly cut off by a hiss. “Oooh, that hurts. Ribs are _definitely_ broken.”

“Here.” Akira moved to crouch down next to his partner and put Leandro’s arm around his shoulders before carefully wrapping his own arm around the other man’s waist. “Let’s get you on your feet.”

They moved slow, Akira supporting almost all of Leandro’s weight as the other man got his feet underneath him and carefully rose to a standing position. He leaned heavily against Akira, his free hand clutching at his injured ribs. “Where’s the Juicer?” he asked in a strained voice.

“Over there.” Akira nodded to where the now-normal man lay sprawled in the dirt.

“Well, would you look at that.” Leandro turned to face him, and --- despite everything --- there wass a bright, fierce smile on his face. “I guess we really do make a great team.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit difficult for me to write just because I have a hard time with action sequences, especially fights. So please, give me all of your constructive criticism. Also, please feel free to share any ideas you have, or anything you think might be inspiring. (I am really into protest songs right now, and a lot of that is helping to fuel this story.)
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading. I can't wait to see what our boys get into next!


	10. The Bonding Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leandro is recovering from his injuries, and discovers that he Akira have more in common than he ever realized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter. Actions sequences have always been seemed like a problem for me, and I so very much appreciate all of the positive comments sent my way. Ya'll sure do know how to build a girl's confidence up. 
> 
> WARNING: There are mentions of death in this chapter, including the death of children. It is not graphic, but please be mindful if you decide to read this chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

They were on all of the news tickers the next morning.

They were crowded together in Leandro’s hospital room, watching the story scroll by on the holovid screen. Petra was perched on the edge of the bed, and Akira was sprawled out in the bedside chair. Leandro was lying on the bed, propped up on some pillows, with a line running from an IV bag to his arm.

“The two assailants, who have been dubbed the Neon City Outlaws by locals, are also believed to be responsible for the bombing of the Galra-Human Affairs office two weeks ago.” The ticker’s voice sounded almost grim as it recited the text. “Governor Sendak is categorizing the two individuals as terrorists, and reports that anyone who is found to be harboring them will also be taken into custody and tried as terrorists. Anyone with information leading to the capture of these two individuals will receive a substantial reward.”

“How about that?” Leandro said, his voice slurred by the painkillers that were being pumped into his arm. “We’re famous, Ki!”

“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘infamous’,” Petra said, voice dry.

“Noooo. I want to be _famous!_ People will be begging me for an autograph. Or a selfie.” His eyes went wide. “Ooooh. Maybe we’ll get _groupies!”_

She let out an exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes. “Yes. Because that’s _exactly_ what you need.” She turned to face the other man. “Are you sure you want to stay with him while he’s like this? That chair pulls out into a bed. Maybe I can convince Dante to knock him out and I can just sleep there.”

Akira waved a dismissive hand at her. ‘Don’t worry. I can just ignore him if he gets too mouthy. You’ve already been here all night. Besides, Dante wants to check my radiation levels, make sure I’m not going to start glowing or anything. So it makes more sense for me to stay.”

Leandro leaned around Petra to frown at his partner, trying to ignore the fact that the room continued to move even after he had stopped. “Are you planning on _babysitting_ me? Well, you can just go on home right now, mister. I do not _need_ a babysitter.”

“Yes, you do.” Petra pushed him back against the pillows. “You’re so high right now you wouldn’t be able to stand on your own. I honestly don’t even know how you’re still awake.” Her face softened, and she reached up to cup his cheek. “You almost died last night, you idiot. It scared us. So just let us be overprotective for a day or two, okay?”

He wanted to argue --- he was _pretty_ sure he could stand on his own --- but the look on her face stopped him. There were dark circles under her eyes, indicating that she hadn’t slept much last night, if she had slept at all. They were also red and puffy, making him frown. _Has she been crying?_

 _You almost died last night._ Her words punched through the drug-induced haze surrounding his brain, and guilt suddenly flooded him. She’d been worried about him. _Really_ worried.

So he mustered up the best dramatic sigh he could manage. “Fine,” he said, reaching up to cover her hand with one of his own. “I suppose I can let a gorgeous man stay here and babysit me for a while. But only if _you_ promise to go and get some rest. You look awful.”

“You’re not looking so hot yourself, you know. And believe me: rest is _exactly_ what I plan on doing. You should, too. Dante said that resting would be the best way to help you heal right now.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Petra rolled her eyes yet again, but she was smiling. It was a tired smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Now, don’t be a dick to Akira, all right? He saved your ass last night, so I expect you to behave.”

Leandro place a hand over his heart and did his best to look hurt. “Ma’am, you wound me. I’m _always_ a gentleman.”

That earned him a snort. “Pretty sure you have no clue what that word means.” Then she leaned forward, and Leandro closed his eyes as her lips pressed against his forehead. He savored the contact, basking in the feeling of warmth and security it provided.

Then she was gone, slinging the strap of a backpack over her shoulder and turning towards the door. “If you guys need anything…”

“We’ll be fine,” Akira said, and Leandro felt his heart melt a little at the gentleness of his partner’s tone. “Go and get some rest. I promise I’ll call you if anything changes.”

“Okay then. Don’t be afraid to tie him to the bed if you need to. Bye, Leo!”

“Bye!” He watched her leave, and as soon as the door _whooshed_ closed behind her, he was leaning towards Akira, voice dropping into a conspiratorial tone. “Y’know, Samurai, you don’t _really_ have to stay. I’ll be fine. I mean, I’m in a hospital, right? I’m in the safest place I could possibly be at the moment.”

Akira snorted as he leaned back in the chair. “Nice try, but I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. Petra terrifies me, and if she found out that I left you here alone, death would be a mercy. She’d probably dismantle me piece by piece. Slowly. And make me watch.” He shrugged. “Besides, Dante really does want me here so he can check me over. We were too worried about you last night to even think about me.”

Leandro felt a goofy smile start to stretch across his face that he was pretty sure had nothing to do with the drugs. Akira had said ‘we’. _We were too worried about you last night._ Which meant that _Akira_ had been worried about him. That realization started a warm, glowly feeling somewhere deep in his chest.

But then he thought about the rest of his partner’s words, and about what Petra had said a few moments ago, and his smile became a frown. “Did I really almost die last night? I mean, I knew that my ribs were broken. But I didn’t feel like I was at death’s doorstep or anything.”

For a moment, Akira didn’t speak, and Leandro was afraid that the other man wasn’t going to answer him. But he finally let out a heavy sigh and began to speak in a quiet voice.

“You passed out during the ride back to the Castle. I was trying to hurry, because Hoshi had said that there was a group of Galra sentries headed our way ---”

“I remember hearing him say that.”

“---but I was afraid you would fall off. So I went slow. By the time we got back to the Castle you were totally unresponsive. I couldn’t wake you for anything. And then I noticed that your skin had started to turn blue. And that there was blood coming out of your mouth. I thought ---” He stopped, and Leandro watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed on a hard swallow. “I thought you were dead.”

 _Oh._ The obvious pain in Akira’s voice cut through his brain fog, and he desperately wished that his partner was sitting closer so that he could reach out and touch him. Maybe hold his hand, or maybe just place one of his own hands on Akira’s shoulder. Anything to comfort him.

“I just kind of… panicked.” Akira’s eyes were distant, as though he were somehow watching a replay of the events he was describing. “I scooped you up and just _ran._ The others were waiting for us inside. I saw the look on Petra’s face when she saw you. I think it will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Leandro found that he was the one suddenly having to swallow a lump in his throat as he imagined what his best friend must have felt in that moment. “What happened?” he whispered.

“You were right about your ribs being broken. There were four of them, and one of them managed to puncture one of your lungs. Dante had to manually inflate it to get it to start working again. You also had a concussion, as well as a pretty nasty wound on your head that Dante had to stitch up.” He paused for a moment. “There were a few times that you stopped breathing, but then you’d start again a minute or two later. And Dante had to give you blood. It was… bad.”

They both felll silent, Leandro leaning back against the pillows as he tried to process this new information. He could somewhat remember Akira helping him onto the back of Red, his whole body feeling like it was on fire. He could remember wrapping his arms around Akira’s waist and laying his head against the red paladin’s shoulder, hearing Hoshi warn them about the approaching sentries. And then ---

And then he had woken up here, in the hospital wing of the Castle, with Dante leaning over him and telling him that everything was fine and that he needed to just breathe.

So. Petra hadn’t been exaggerating. He really _had_ almost died. The realization of just how close he had come was heavy and sobering, as well as the realization of just how lucky he was that he hadn’t been alone.

“Thank you,” he called out softly. “For taking care of me. For making sure I got help. For saving me.”

Akira shifted awkwardly in his chair eyes fixed firmly away from Leandro. “That’s what partners do, right? They take care of each other.”

“Not just partners. Friends, too.”

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, in a voice almost too quiet to hear, Akira said “Yeah. Friends, too.”

He fell asleep sometime after that, the drugs finally overpowering what little resistance he had left. He had no idea how long he slept, but when he woke up the news tickers had changed to what looked like an alien soap opera, and his body felt like it weighed at least a thousand pounds.

He let out a groan as he forced himself to a sitting position. His mouth felt as though it had been stuffed with cottons and his eyes buffed with sandpaper. He might be alive, but he certainly felt like death.

He turned to his right, ready to ask for help --- he wasn’t feeling invincible any more --- but stopped at the sight that greeted him.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who had fallen asleep.

Akira had pushed the chair all the way back so he could stretch out. His boots lay on the floor, the feet that were now propped up clad in only a pair of socks. (Black, of course.) His face was turned towards the bed, giving Leandro an unobstructed view of long eyelashes and slightly parted lips. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm.

He looked peaceful. Almost… vulnerable. As though sleep was the only place he could take off that invisible armor he seemed to wear every day and just be Akira. The sight made Leandro’s heart turn a somersault in his chest. _He’s so beautiful._

Leandro didn’t want to wake him, not if he didn’t have to. From the way his partner had spoken earlier, Leandro doubted Akira had gotten much sleep the night before, ether. So if Leandro could let him sleep, then he would.

He turned to the other side of the bed and reached out to grasp his IV pole (he was none too happy to see that a fresh bag of _something_ had been attached to it while he’d been asleep) and carefully swung his feet over the edge. When the room stayed where it was supposed to, he tightened his grip on the pole and slowly, carefully, made his way to a standing position. He felt a small twinge of protest from his abused ribs, but nothing that made him feel as though he needed assistance. A look over his shoulder told him that Akira hadn’t moved.

His walk (or shuffle, as the case was) to the bathroom was slow, but he made it with no problem. He splashed water on his face and drank a cup of water from the tap. Then he started the journey back.

But instead of going back to the bed, Leandro found himself walking over to where Akira lay sleeping. Leandro had spotted a blanket that someone --- probably Petra --- had left out and he reached for it now. He let it unfold to its full length before carefully, gently, draping it over his partner.

He wasn’t sure why he was feeling so bold. Maybe it was the drugs stealing away what little self-control he had. Maybe it was the realization that he had almost died, that this moment --- this opportunity --- had come so close to never happening. Whatever the reason, he reached out with his free hand to gently brush a stray lock of hair away from Akira’s face When his partner didn’t move, Leandro carefully leaned down and placed his lips against the other man’s forehead.

Leandro missed touch. He missed touching others, and being touched in return. He had come from a large family, and they had all used touch as a way to show affection: a hug, a reassuring hand on the shoulder, a high-five, a gentle hand on the back. During his time as a slave he had yearned for the touch of another person, one that wasn’t delivered out of anger or malice. He still craved it.

But as his lips touched Akira’s skin, his body was suddenly flooded with… something. Something warm and familiar, like a hug or a blanket. It’s an emotion that he can’t name, one that he had thought he’d lost forever.

It’s harder for him to pull away than he’d like to admit, but he feels _lighter_ than he has in a long time, and he can’t stop the smile that’s spreading across his face. “Sweet dreams, Samurai,” he whispered before turning and going back to the bed.

Dante made him stay in the hospital for another night to make sure that there was no danger of his lung collapsing again, and that his ribs were bound properly. To add insult to injury, he was discharged with the news that he will be making the trip back to his apartment in a wheelchair.

“This is so unfair,” Leandro whined as Dante sent him off with a bottle of pain medication and strict orders to take it easy over the next few days. “Why can’t I just walk like a normal person?”

“You heard Dante,” Petra said cheerfully as she walked alongside him. “You have to give your lung time to heal. You wouldn’t be able to make the walk back right now. If you tried it, we’d just end up having to take you back to the hospital.”

Leandro pouted at this. Sometimes he really hated it when Petra was right.

Then an idea struck him, and he tilted his head back to look at the man pushing the wheelchair. “Can’t you carry me?” he pleaded. “I would much rather be carried by you then have to ride in this stupid wheelchair.” He flashed his best smile. “Besides, I was unconscious the last time you carried me. If an attractive man is going to cradle me in his arms, I would like to be awake and able to enjoy it, thank you very much.”

Above him, Akira’s cheeks bloomed with color as he tried to come up with an appropriate response, but only managed to stutter out a few words. Leandro’s smile turned into a full-blown grin. He loved it when that happened. Especially when he was the cause of it.

“Take it easy there, Loverboy,” Petra laughed as she reached up to pat Akira on the arm. “We don’t want to break him now, do we? Just let him push you for the time being. If he wants hold you in his arms later, that’s on him.”

Akira scowled at her, his face turning an even darker shade of red, and Leandro couldn’t help but laugh.

He must have dozed off after that, because the next thing he knew, Akira was gently shaking him. “Wake up, Leo. You’re home.”

He opened his eyes, blinking blearily at the familiar, comforting sight of his own apartment. He looked over to the door to his bedroom and let out a quiet groan. It seemed so far away. He didn’t even want to think about the distance to his bed.

Hey lay his head back against the wheelchair. “Can you just go ahead and push me into my room? It just… I don’t know if I can walk that far. Even with help.”

Silence greeted him, and he wondered if Akira had left without him noticing. But then there was a gentle touch on his knee, then an arm slid under his legs, and he was suddenly being lifted by a pair of strong arms and held against a warm chest.

_Akira was going to carry him._

Leandro didn’t bother to think. He just _reacted,_ reaching up to twine his arms around Akira’s neck and tucking his head into the hollow of the other man’s collarbone.

“Is… is this all right?” Akira murmured hesitantly, and Leandro loved the fact that he could feel his partner’s chest rumble underneath him when he spoke. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

Leandro shook his head, not willing to speak, too afraid that it would ruin the moment.

At first, Akira didn’t move, and Leandro found himself hoping that he wouldn’t. He moved his head forward so that he could place his nose against the other man’s neck, inhaling deeply. Akira smelled warm and earthy, like a mixture of cinnamon and campfire. And Leandro could detect the faint scent of grease and motor oil that seemed to be permanently ingrained into the mechanic’s skin. All of the scents mingled together to form something that smelled like _Akira._

It smelled wonderful.

It smelled like… like _home._

Akira finally started to take slow, careful steps towards Leandro’s bedroom. The injured man hoped the trip took forever. He didn’t want this moment --- this feeling of warmth, and utter and complete security --- to ever end.

There was a brief pause as Akira fumbled with the door to the bedroom. Then, far too soon, his partner was gently lowering him down onto his bed. There was a quiet rustle, and then Akira was pulling the quilt up and over Leandro’s body, gently tucking it in around him. “Get some rest, Leo,” he said softly.

He was asleep before the other man made it out of the door.

The next several days saw a parade of visitors come in and out of Leandro’s apartment. The entire team decided to gather there for lunch, and Hayach would often come with Petra after they finished their day’s work and would cook them dinner. Curran stopped by one day with a stack of get-well cards that had been made by the kids he worked with. Dante was there every afternoon to check on him, and Hoshi would come by in the mornings to drink coffee with him and talk about the morning’s news.

And every day, just like clockwork, Akira showed up at their scheduled training time. Sometimes they just sat and talked. Most days the scarred man would make him get up and walk down the hall (“Dante says you have to get up and move around so that you won’t get fluid in your lungs”) and back again.

Leandro was incredibly thankful for the company. It not only staved off the boredom, but it kept him from being lonely. He’d never done well with being alone, his mind wanting to fall back into places that he had fought and clawed his way out of years ago. Knowing that there was someone close by if things started to get bad was always a huge comfort

Leandro never brought up the night that Akira had carried him. He was afraid that the other man would play it off, or say it hadn’t meant anything to him. It had certainly meant something to Leandro. It had meant _a lot._ If he found out Akira didn’t feel that way, it would break his heart.

After a week of recovery, Akira came to him bearing a gift. When Leandro answered the door that day, his partner held up a familiar-looking cardboard container. “I made sure to ask Dante if you could have this before I brought it,” he said by way of explanation.

Leandro let out a gasp of delight, his eyes going wide. “Is that _beer?”_

”It is indeed.” The other man had an uncharacteristically smug grin on his face. “Hayach and I brew it as a hobby. I’ve been told it’s the best booze in the Outskirts.”

Leandro stepped aside and gestured him in. “Well, well. That _is_ a bold claim. I can’t wait to test this for myself.”

Akira briefly vanished into the kitchen to place the six-pack in the chill box, then reappeared carrying two of the dark glass bottles in his hands. They both sat on the couch and twisted the tops off, and Akira lifted his in the air. “To the Neon City Outlaws.”

Leandro grinned as he clinked his bottle against his partners. “To the first of what will hopefully be many successful ass-kickings.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Both men lifted their bottles to their lips and took a drink. Leandro closed his eyes as the taste of the beer flooded over his tongue, chased by notes of orange and vanilla. “Damn,” he said, opening his eyes and looking at the bottle in awe. “I have to say that this is definitely one of the best brews I’ve ever had. And I have been to every drinking establishment in the Outskirts at least once.”

His partner’s eyes lit up at the praise. “Yeah? You think it’s that good? Thanks! I’m glad you like it.”

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they enjoyed their beers. Leandro couldn’t help but marvel at how far the two of them had come in just a few weeks. There was no way they would have been able to do this when they had first met. 

Leandro shifted so that he could turn to face the other man. “So I have a question I have been dying to ask you, Kira, if you don’t mind.”

A wary look crossed over Akira’s face, but he nodded for his companion to continue.

“Why do you do all of this? What made you decide to join the Deliverance, become the Mechanic? What is it about this shitty rock that you are willing to risk your life for it over and over again?”

Akira’s expression relaxed from wary into a smile. “I’m from here.”

Leandro winced. “Yeesh. Sorry I called it a shitty rock.”

“No worries. It _is_ a shitty rock. But it’s the only home I’ve ever known. And the Galra are fucking ruthless. They don’t care about anyone but themselves. I don’t want them to keep doing what they did to my family --- what they did to _your_ family. If I can just save one kid from going through what I did, then it’s all worth it. To me, that is a cause worth dying for. And the Deliverance lets me do it.”

Both of Leandro’s eyebrows shot up at this piece of information, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out “What happened to your family?” Then he immediately flushed with embaressment. ‘Errr, ignore that. You don’t have to answer.”

Akira waved a dismissive hand at him. “It’s fine. I don’t mind. Besides, I know all about what the Galra did to your family. It’s only fair that you should know what they did to mine.” Akira shifted in his seat so that he was leaning back into the couch and took a deep, fortifying pull of his bottle. “Both of my parents were in the military. Mom was a pilot, and Dad was a medic. She was a native, and he was an off-worlder who was stationed here.” A slight smile touched his lips. “Apparently it was love at first sight. Which I always found hilarious. You want to talk about opposites attracting. Mom was built like a tank, tall and strong as hell, just like Hoshi. I, of course, managed to get my Dad’s genes. He barely came up to her chin. She liked to bench press him sometimes, just because she could.

“We lived right on the border between the city and the Outskirts. We had a quiet life. We had a _good_ life.” He paused for a moment, his eyes going distant. “One day, the local school caught on fire. It happened in the middle of the day, and the school was full of kids. Dad rushed out to help --- he was a medic, after all --- but the Galra had the entire scene blocked off. They wouldn’t let anybody in, told Dad that if he managed to break past the barrier it would be considered an act of treason. So my father was forced to stand there, helpless, as a school full of children burned to the ground.” His fingers whitened as he tightened his grip on the bottle. “Over three hundred people died that day.”

The warm, pleasant feeling that had begun to form in Leandro’s stomach instantly turned sour. “Jesus,” he breathed.

Akira bobbed his head in agreement. “When the Galra did the press conference the next day, they said that they had simply been unable to do anything. That, since the school had been located in the Outskirts, they had --- regrettably, of course --- not been able to utilize their vast resources to put out the fire and save the children.”

“Even though the Outskirts has its _own_ emergency services that _could_ have saved them if the Galra hadn’t set up a blockade.”

‘Some of them tried.” The other man’s voice was quiet. “Some of the residents of the Outskirts who had come to help managed to slip through the barricade to try and help. They were shot on the spot. It’s the only reason my father didn’t try. If he had thought he had a chance of rescuing anyone, he would have gladly given his life. That’s who he was.” He took another drink. “The hardest part --- at least for my father --- was the fact that this was where Hoshi went to school. They had kept him home that day because he had been sick. If they hadn’t ---”

They lapsed back into silence. Leandro tried to think about how Akira’s father must have felt realizing that it had only been sheer luck that had kept his son alive. And the guilt he must have at come with realizing that there was nothing he could do to save someone else’s child, even though he was _right there_ and possessed the skills necessary to do so. “What happened next?” he finally asked in a hushed tone.

“My father had a hard time with it. I remember him having nightmares for months. He tried to hide it from us, but I could hear him crying in the middle of the night sometimes. He and my mother finally decided that they had to do something, that they couldn’t let the Galra keep hurting people with no repercussions.”

“They joined the Deliverance.” It wasn’t a question.

Another nod. “They tried to keep it from us, but we would often hear them talk. It didn’t take us long to figure out that they were spies. It was actually a prefect job for them. Since they were both in the military, they were in perfect positions to hear information about planned raids or other operations. Even if the Galra refused to be part of the planetary military, they would often coordinate with them. So whenever something came in that they thought was important, they would pass it on to the Deliverance.”

“What happened to them?’

“They got discovered. To this day, Hoshi and I still haven’t been able to figure out how. Though I guess it doesn’t really matter.” Akira looked down at his hands, the bottle dangling for him fingertips. “They woke us up in the middle of the night, telling us that we had to go. They got us dressed and handed us each a backpack full of emergency supplies. Then they gave us these.” He reached under the collar of his t-shirt and pulled out a chain that Leandro had never noticed before. At the end of it dangled two items that he immediately recognized as dog tags.

“One of them is my mother’s,” he said softly. “The other is my father’s. They told us that there were certain people that we could show these to and they would help us.” He tucked the chain back into his shirt, and Leandro realized just how precious those dog tags must be to the Kogane brothers. “Then my mother gave me her dagger, and Hoshi was given my father’s pistol. They told us that they loved us, and to make sure that we took care of each other. I remember thinking that it was some kind of game, or a test, because both of them were so _calm._ But then they shoved us out of the door and locked it behind us. We found out later that the house burned to the ground that night. My father’s body was recovered, but my mother was never found.”

Leandro closed his eyes at that, feeling his heart ache. Even knowing first-hand just how heartless the Galra were towards those they considered to be lesser, he still found himself shocked by every new account of their cruelty. _Fucking monsters._

“Hoshi led us out into the Outskirts that night, as far away from the city as possible. He found us an abandoned shack to stay in. I still thought it was a game, that Mom and Dad would show up in the morning to tell us that we’d won, and then we’d all go home and have breakfast together.”

Leandro could almost imagine it: a young Akira lying in a sleeping bag on the floor of a dark building, believing that he was on some bizarre camping trip with his brother, who was no doubt sitting up with his father’s pistol, keeping watch. “How old were you?”

His partner shrugged. “Around ten, I think? I know Hoshi was a teenager, and he’s four years older than me.”

 _So young._ They’d both been younger than Leandro had been when the Galra had taken his family. “Did you come to the Deliverance then?”

“That had been the plan, I think. Hoshi knew where the Castle was --- Dad had apparently told him --- and he wanted us to find it and show them out dog tags. But, when he woke up the next morning, we found our faces plastered _everywhere._ Every sign, every billboard, every gods-be-damned holovid screen in the Outskirts were showing pictures of us. There was a reward being offered for any information that would lead to our safe return. They had spun a story that our home had been attacked, our parents killed, and we were now missing and considered endangered.”

“Son of a bitch,” Leandro swore, feeling anger rising up in his chest. “So, even if you _had_ found someone to help you…”

‘They would have handed us over to the Galra, thinking that they were saving us.” He drained the last of his beer and carefully placed the empty bottle on the corner of the coffee table. “We managed pretty well, all things considered. The shack was still in good shape, and we were able to fix it up so it was almost homey. Hoshi would often go out and try to find small jobs to earn us money, and we stole what we couldn’t buy.” He made a face. “The worst part was that Hoshi made us shave our heads so that it would be harder for people to recognize us. I _hated_ being bald.” He ran his hand over his ponytail, as if to make sure it was still there, “We made it on our own for two years before Hoshi got caught stealing food and sent to prison. It took me almost another two years to track him down and break him out. That’s when we finally made it to the Castle.”

Silence settled over them, each man lost in his own thoughts. Leandro couldn’t help but feel a thread of guilt as he thought about what his partner had told him. Akira’s parents had been killed by the Galra, just as his had. But where Leandro had spent the subsequent years hiding, doing everything he could to not be noticed, Akira had been out fighting, doing what he could to help save others from the same fate. It made Leandro feel… ashamed.

 _Stop that,_ he told himself firmly. _You did what you had to do to survive. No one will blame you for that. Besides, you’re here now. And that’s what matters._

On the other end of the couch, Akira let out a sigh as he pushed to his feet. “I should probably head out. Hayach and Petra want me to stop by sometime today and see if I can answer any questions they have about that Galra skiff engine.” He picked up his empty beer bottle from the coffee table. “Can I get you anything before I go?”

Leandro gave him an airy wave. “Nah. I’ll be fine. You don’t want to keep Petra waiting. She should be the poster child for impatience.”

The other man didn’t move. “Are you sure? I can stay if you want me to. Or if you _need_ me to, rather.”

“You can stay if you want to. I will never complain about getting to spend time with you.” And he meant it. “But if you want to go poke around a Galra engine with Petra and Hayach, then go. I’ll be fine. Besides, you’ll be back later, right?”

Akira visibly relaxed. “Yeah. Yeah, I will. I just… If you’re _sure ---”_

“Kira,” he said, drawing the other man’s name out. “It sounds to me like you are looking for an excuse to stay here with me.” He fluttered his eyelashes at the other man.

Akira let out a huff, but Leandro didn’t miss the hint of color that rose in his cheeks. “Fine. I’ll go. Just let me put this in the recycler first.”

But as his partner started to walk past him, Leandro reached out to catch his hand, causing Akira to stop in his tracks. “Hey, Kira?” His voice was soft, almost… shy. “I, um, I wanted to say thank you. For… Well, for everything, really. For saving my life. For staying with me when I was in the hospital. For coming to visit me every day. For being my _friend.”_ He paused. “And for sharing your story with me. I know how hard it is to share your private pains, and I am honored that you chose me to share it with.” He stared at their clasped hands for a moment. Marveling at how they fit together. How his hands were large, skin smooth and soft, and how Akira’s hands were starkly pale against his darker skin, his fingers long and slender. And how Leandro could feel the callouses and rough skin that pressed against his. “I hate what happened to you. And, if I could go back in time and stop it from ever happening, I would. I would do it in a _heartbeat._ But…” He bit his lip, trying to decide how best to word what he wanted to say next. “I am so very thankful that you made your way here, because I don’t think we would have ever met otherwise. And the idea of having never met you… Well, I don’t like thinking about it.” He took a deep breath, lifting his gaze ---

\---only to find himself staring directly into Akira’s eyes.

Leandro felt his breath hitch, and his heart started to do a vigorous tap dance against his rib cage. The air around them was heavy and thick, the way it had always felt before a thunderstorm back in Cuba. It was crackling with possibility, a portent of something to come. Leandro didn’t know what that might be: maybe Akira would laugh it off, maybe he would jerk his hand away and leave without another word, or maybe he would kiss him. Leandro didn’t know. All he could do was wait.

Akira dropped his gaze from Leandro’s face to their joined hands, not speaking, just staring. Leandro felt his heart began to pound even harder, and he distantly wondered if it would keep going faster until it cracked his barely-healed ribs again. His mouth went dry, and fear started to coil in his belly. _I’ve ruined it,_ he couldn’t help but think, starting to feel the first threads of panic. _I shouldn’t have touched him. Now he’ll never ---_

But then Akira lifted his head once more, and Leandro’s brain immediately stopped working.

His partner was smiling, and it was _beautiful._ Leandro had never seen Akira smile like that before. It was absolutely radiant, lighting up his whole face, making him look softer somehow. Open. Not wary and closed-off like he normally seemed to be.

 _Forget blushing,_ Leandro thought, awestruck. _I want to make him smile like_ this.

“I’m very thankful that I got to meet you, too.” Akira’s voice was soft. He squeezed Leandro’s hand, but he didn’t let go. “See you at lunch?”

Unable to speak, Leandro just nodded.

“Good.” His hand tightened around Leandro’s once more, and --- was it Leandro’s imagination, or was he reluctant to let him go?

Then he was gone, leaving Leandro to sit in stunned silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave comments, thoughts, ideas, constructive criticism, song lyrics, or anything else you'd like. I hope you enjoyed the fluff! (Or the angst. Or both.)


	11. The Broadcast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leandro decides to fulfill part of his agreement with Alina, and he and Akira are left to deal with the consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There is mention of the death of children. It is not graphic, but please be mindful that it is there.

Akira had been pacing for what felt like hours. He’d lost count of how many times he’d made the circuit around the command center. If it was possible to wear a hole in the floor, he was certain he would have done so by now.

Leandro was perched on one of the many desks that littered the room, watching him with an amused expression. “How long are you going to keep this up? You’re starting to make _me_ tired.”

Akira scowled at him without breaking his stride. “I don’t like this,” he said for what had to be at least the tenth time. “It’s not right. I don’t see how you can be so calm about it.”

His partner gave an easy shrug. “I agreed to this, remember?”

“No. You were _forced_ to agree to it. There’s a difference. Besides, you’ve already done more than enough for us. You should not have to be held to this.”

As he paced by the desk where Leandro sat, the darker-skinned man reached out and snagged Akira’s hand. “Hey,” he said in a gentle tone of voice. “What’s bothering you so much? You know I don’t mind doing this. I _want_ to do this.” He gave the other man’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Everything is going to be fine.”

Akira let out a frustrated huff, reaching back to give his ponytail a tug. He didn’t continue his pacing, halted by Leandro’s grip, and not wanting to pull away. (Maybe, if he just _held_ the other man down…) “It’s _not_ going to be fine, Leo. It’s going to paint an even bigger target on your back than the one you already have. The Galra will happily burn the entire planet to ash in order to find you. It’s too risky.” Too agitated to stand still, Akira tried to tug his hand free so he could keep pacing. _Stubborn idiot!_

But Leandro refused to let him go. “No, it’s not. The Galra _want_ people to move to the city so that they can control them. If they kill all of their workforce, they might actually have to do something themselves. And we know _that’s_ not going to happen.” He offered one pf his grins. “Everything will turn out okay, Ki. I promise.”

But things would not be okay, Akira knew. It was going to be a fucking _nightmare._

Leandro was about to do a planet-wide broadcast, announcing to the entire world that he was the long-thought dead Sanchez son, as well as a member of the Deliverance. Just being one of those things was bad enough. But both? Akira knew that the Galra would use every resource they had to find him. And, as Leandro had pointed out to him when they had first met, the Galra wouldn’t just kill him. They would make an example out of him.

But Leandro no longer seemed to care.

Akira let out a low growl and gave his hair an even more vicious yank. “Leo, they burned down an _entire school full of children_ without blinking an eye. And you think they won’t move heaven and earth to try and get their hands on _you?_ ” He didn’t bother to hide the panic in his voice. He had been arguing with his partner since he and Alina had decided to do this; but, he had learned, arguing with Leandro Sanchez was as productive as arguing with a rock.

Leandro’s blue eyes were solemn as they looked into Akira’s. “That’s why I want to do this, why I _need_ to do this. I want to make it so that they can never hurt anyone else. I don’t want them to be able to tear another family apart, like they did to you and me.” His face hardened. “Besides, I’m _tired_ of hiding. It’s time they finally were held responsible for their actions,”

Akira let out a snarl of pure anger and yanked his hand away so he could continue his pacing. If he didn’t keep moving, he was going to punch something, Most likely his idiot of a partner.

It had been over a week since Akira’s confession, and he’d regretted it ever since. The day after, Leandro had decided that he had been a coward for hiding from the Galra instead of fighting them and had wanted to make up for it. So he had decided to broadcast his existence, letting everyone know that he was alive and well and fighting for the Deliverance.

And it terrified Akira more than he would like to admit.

Their relationship had changed since the fight against the Juicers, a subtle shift that Akira could not define. They were still friends, but it felt as though the two of them had moved past just friendship. They were easier around each other now, each man moving naturally with the other instead of the cautious dance they had been doing.

And, now, the idea of something happening to Leandro, of him being _gone,_ caused a sharp ache somewhere in Akira’s chest. But save for locking him up and throwing away the key, there was absolutely nothing Akira could do to keep him safe. And that knowledge had him feeling like he was tearing apart from the inside out.

Was this what it meant to care for someone? To constantly be in a state of ear? To know that there was nothing you could do that would guarantee the other person’s safety?

He remembered arguing with Hoshi about how he didn’t want to grow close to anyone out of fear that they could be used against him. He had always thought it would be the Galra, not his own heart.

_Maybe I was better off on my own…_

Before that thought could sit and fester, Alina was calling to them from across the room. “We’re ready.”

Leandro got to his feet and walked to the Altean woman’s side, Akira reluctantly following. Alina held open the door to one of the small conference rooms that ringed command center. “Just let Petra know when you’re ready. Once the camera light turns green, you’ll be live.”

Leandro stood in the door for a moment, not moving, and Akira began to think that maybe the other man had changed his mind. But when he turned to face his partner, Leandro’s eyes were full of nothing but determination. “Wish me luck?” he asked, his voice soft.

Akira wanted to tell him no. He wanted to tell Leandro that he needed to walk away from that room right now and forget this whole foolish endeavor. But he knew the other man wouldn’t listen to him, and he couldn’t just walk away to leave his partner to deal with this on his own. So he offered a nod and what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Go be great,” he said, his voice just as soft.

Leandro smiled at that, and Akira was relieved to see that it reached his eyes. Then he disappeared into the conference room, Alina gently closing the door behind him. The two of them turned and walked to the other side of the command center, where Curran, Dante, and Hoshi were gathered in front of the holovid screen that took up almost the entire wall.

Hoshi looked at his brother out of the corner of his eye. “Are you all right?” he murmured, keeping his tone low enough so that only Akira could hear him.

Akira kept his eyes on the screen, but gave a sharp shake of his head. “No.”

Hoshi didn’t reply, but he reached up and placed his mechanical hand on his brother’s shoulder. The younger Kogane was thankful for the gesture, grateful to have something to keep him grounded. He was so full of nervous energy at the moment that he was worried that he would vibrate apart.

Nothing happened for several moments, and Akira found himself hoping that his partner had realized that this was a stupid idea and would come out of the conference room looking sheepish. But just as Akira was getting ready to return to the conference room, the screen lit up, and Leandro’s face was suddenly looking out at them.

Akira couldn’t hold back a sharp intake of breath. On the screen, all of Leandro’s features stood out in sharp relief: his freckles, his blue eyes, his crooked nose. All of it was now on display in stunning resolution for the entire world to see. Akira felt a sharp stab of something pierce his chest as the realization that he was having to share his partner --- his _friend_ \--- with the whole world.

Jealousy, he realized a moment later. _That_ was what he was feeling. _Jealousy._

Above them, Leandro’s signature grin spread across his face. “Hey, guys!” he said, cheerfully waving at the camera. “Sorry to interrupt your soap operas --- are those a thing here? Anyways, I wanted to take a few moments to chat with everyone.” He paused, and the rest of Voltron watched as he took a deep, fortifying breath. “My name is Leandro Julian Sanchez, and the tales of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. If there is anyone out there who does _not_ recognize my name, I am the son of Alejo and Macaria Sanchez, the youngest of five children.” His face became hard, and his eyes flashed with an emotion that Akira could not name. “I was uncle to Julian and little Novia Sanchez. And, now, the _only_ Sanchez. If you don’t believe me --- since the Galra have spent the past six years telling you that they killed me after my family’s execution --- here is your proof.” He grabbed the collar of his shirt and gave a viscous yank, displaying the entirety of his slave mark,

Akira felt his hands curl into fists, nails digging into his palms. _Stop this,_ he thought desperately. _Don’t do this._

But Leandro continued, not bothering to cover up the ugly mark on his shoulder. “The Galra killed my family, _murdered_ them. You all know this. You all _watched it happen._ But the story you have been told is not the truth. My family did not care about the Galra at all. What my family cared about --- what my family _fought_ for --- was freedom. _My_ freedom. They were fighting for the right for us to live as a family. They were fighting so that we could all sit around the table together and have dinner. They fought so that we could do the exact same thing that you are doing right now. And the Galra killed them for it.

“They killed my grandparents, who had spent their entire lives working so that their children could have better lives. They killed my parents, who were childhood sweethearts, and had loved each other more than anyone else I have ever known. They killed my siblings, all of whom were just starting their own lives, their own families. And they killed --- they ---” His voice broke, and Akira could only watch helplessly as his partner blinked tears from his eyes. “My niece and nephew --- Julian and Novia --- were children. _Children._ Novia hadn’t even been old enough to start school when she was killed. But the Galra murdered them anyways. And for what? What threat could a _five-year-old_ pose to the mightiest empire in the universe?”

The sound of a broken sob came from Akira’s left. Turning, he saw that Alina was staring up at the screen, a hand covering her mouth, jeweled eyes shining with unshed tears.

 _Good,_ he thought viscously. _You_ should _be upset. This is all your fault._

On the screen, Leandro had managed to regain his composure, though the tears were running down his face. When he next spoke, his voice was strong and clear.

“I have spent the past six years living the life I thought my family wanted me to have. I was living a life of freedom.” He lowered his eyes, and somehow --- _somehow ---_ they landed directly on Akira, as though Leandro could see him through the camera. “But I have recently realized that my family didn’t fight and die for just _me._ They gave their lives so that everyone could live free.”

His eyes came back to the camera, and he lifted his chin in a sign of defiance. “I’ve decided to carry on their fight, to continue the work that they gave their lives for. Believe me when I say that the Galra do not care about you. Remember, they promised to take care of my family, too. They only protect you as long as you do whatever they ask and do not question them. But the first time you do anything that they see as an act of rebellion, it will be _your_ family, _your_ children, that will pay the price.

“I don’t want what happened to my family to happen to yours. I don’t want the news tickers to tell the story of another Julian or another Novia losing their lives just so the Galra can tighten their hold on all of you. But I can’t do it on my own.” His eyes softened, his expression turning pleading. “Please. Help us. The Deliverance will gladly take anyone who is willing to join the fight.”

Then he lifted his head, squared his shoulders, and stared directly into the camera. “ _Recuorado la familia Sanchez.”_

Then the screen went dark.

Akira didn’t wait a single moment before turning and sprinting back to the conference room where Leandro was and threw open the door.

The taller man had slumped into one of the chairs that ringed the room, hunched over, shoulders curled in as though he was trying to disappear into himself, hands covering his face.

Akira dropped to his knees in front of the other man, reaching out to gently grasp his shoulders. “Hey,” he said gently. “Are you all right?”

In response, Leandro lowered his arms so that he could wrap them around Akira’s waist before leaning forward and burying his face into the kneeling man’s neck. A moment later, his whole body started to shake, and Akira felt the first drops of tears slide down his skin.

Akira froze, panic seizing him. _What am I supposed to do?_ he thought frantically. He’d never really comforted anyone before, and he didn’t want to do or say anything that would make the other man feel worse.

But then an image flashed through his mind, a memory from when he was a child, a time when he had been scared or upset. He remembered the way his mother had held him, the words that she had spoken to soothe him. Holding that memory in his head, Akira wrapped one arm around Leandro’s waist, resting his hand against the small of the other man’s back. His free hand moved to gently cradle the back of Leandro’s head, holding him in place. “I’m here,” he said quietly. “I’ve got you.”

Time ceased to exist around them. (Though Akira didn’t care about time at all; he would stay there on that floor forever if that was what Leandro needed.) But then he noticed that his partner’s shaking had subsided, and there were no new tears tricking onto his neck. Still, he didn’t move.

Finally, Leandro pulled away with a groan, his hands going back up to rub at his eyes. “Shit,” he said, his voice stuffy from crying. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall apart on you like that.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Akira told him firmly. He stayed kneeling, hands resting on his partner’s knees, letting Leandro know that he was still there if he needed him. “What you just did was incredible. There is no way I could have done that.”

That earned him a short huff of laughter. “I almost didn’t. I thought it would be easier to talk about them. I mean, it’s been six years. And I ---” He let out a sigh and lowered his hands from his face. “Stars, I must look awful.”

Akira tilted his head so that he could look up at his partner’s face. Leandro’s eyes were red and puffy, and his face had become blotchy, making his freckles stand out even more. He reached up, moving slowly so that Leandro would have time to pull away if he wanted to, and gently brushed away a stray curl that had stuck to his tear-stained face. “I think you look beautiful.” 

Leandro reached up, capturing Akira’s hand in his own, and pressed it to his cheek, leaning into the touch. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered, eyes beginning to glisten once again. “I don’t… I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Akira had never wanted to kiss anyone as much as he wanted to kiss Leandro in that moment. But he didn’t know _how._ Not the kissing part --- he’d had plenty of practice with that. But he’d never kissed anyone because he actually cared about them before. 

He found himself having to swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat. “Leo, I ---”

The sound of someone frantically banging on the door caused Akira to jump. (In all honesty, he had been so caught up with Leo that he had totally forgotten that there were other people just outside of the room.) “Leo?” Even through the door there was no mistaking the anxiety in Petra’s voice. “Leo? Are you okay? Can I come in?”

“I’m fine,” he called back, never taking his eyes off of the man in front of him. “Kira’s in here with me. We’ll be out in a few minutes.” He squeezed Akira’s hand, which he was still holding against his face. “I meant what I said,” His voice had dropped back into a low pitch. “There’s no one else I’d rather be with right now than you.”

Then he leaned forward, and Akira felt his lungs freeze in his chest as he thought, for just a second, that Leandro was going to kiss _him._ But then his partner angled his head, and instead of kissing Akira on his lips, the kiss landed on the scar on Akira’s cheek. “Thank you,” he murmured, pressing their foreheads together. “For being here.”

Akira closed his eyes, feeling his entire body come alive at the gesture. His mind --- and his heart --- were both screaming at him to kiss this beautiful human being in front of him, that _this_ was the moment to do it. All he had to do was lean in that last inch that separated them and press their lips together, to show Leandro just how glad he was to be here, too. To be with _him._

But he still couldn’t do it.

Finally, Leandro sat back with a sigh, reaching up to scrub at his face, “We should probably go. If we stay in here too much longer, Petra’s likely to break down the door.” He stood, then reached down to pull Akira to his feet.

As soon as Leandro opened the door, Petra was launching herself at him. “ _Leo!”_ she wailed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so _sorry._ Why didn’t you _tell_ me that’s what you were going to say? I never would have agreed to this if I had _known.”_

He chuckled as he hugged her back, gently petting her hair. (Akira realized, much to his mortification, that he was having a hard time not feeling jealous about _that_ , too.) “It’s all right, Pet. I honestly did not think that I would have any problems talking about them. But I made it though. Besides, I bet I won a few people over with those tears. Don’t you think?”

Petra lifted her head up so she could glare at him. “You’re such an idiot,” she scolded. Then her face softened. “But you are a _brave_ idiot. I’m so proud of you.” She placed a kiss against his cheek before sliding to the floor.

Then she turned and threw herself at Akira.

He let out a _meep_ of surprise, stumbling back a few steps as her weight hit him. “Err..”

She held him tight, burying her face into his shoulder. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. “For taking care of him.” Then she pressed her lips against his scar, almost in the same place that Leandro had.

It took him another moment --- he wasn’t used to people outside of his immediate circle hugging him, much less kissing him on the cheek (and that had happened _twice_ in the past half hour!) --- but he finally relaxed into the embrace, bringing his hands up to hug her back. “You’re very welcome.”

She gave him one last squeeze before dropping back to the floor. “Come on. The others are waiting for us.”

They found the rest of Team Voltron standing around Hayach, who was furiously typing at a keyboard, the tip of his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in concentration. A flurry of words scrolled through the air in front of him. On the large holovid screen, the news ticker was going so fast that the narrator was unable to keep up.

At their approach, Hayach looked up, his eyes brightening at the sight of Leandro. “ _Dude!”_ he cried, holding up a hand for a high-five. “That was _awesome!_ You broke… Well, _everything!”_

Leandro laughed as he slapped his hand against the larger man’s. ‘Thanks! I think. What’s going on?”

“The Galra are scrambling,” Alina said, her voice proud and fierce as she stared at the stream of tickers rolling by a replay of Leandro’s broadcast. “Right now, they are trying to spin this as a hoax. That they killed the real Leandro Sanchez six years ago. But it doesn’t seem as though many people believe them.” She turned to face the man in question, and her expression went soft. “Thank you, Leo. This… You went far beyond what I had expected from you. You’ve done more for the Deliverance in the past thirty minutes than we’ve managed to do in the past ten years.”

He gave her a nod in reply. “I’m just happy I was able to do something to help.”

“Are we absolutely certain that the broadcast cannot be traced back to here?” Hoshi asked, arms crossed, and his brows furrowed in concern as he looked up at the holovid screen. “If the Galra are able to find us and attack, there is no way we’d have time for a full evacuation.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Petra said, adjusting her glasses. “Once I hacked the broadcast signal, I locked it to its original source, which is the Castillo de Lyons. Then I bounced _our_ broadcast through about ten different satellites around the planet. It will take them _days_ to trace it back to its origination. Which, of course, is their own castle.” She didn’t bother to hide her smug tone.

Hoshi blinked at her for a moment as he ran her words through his head, making sure he understood what she was saying, before he offered her a nod of respect. “I am sorry for doubting you. Thank you making sure our people are safe.”

Petra’s chest puffed out with pride. “I can’t fight, but I _can_ use technology as a weapon. So I am glad I was able to do my part.”

“Guys!” Hayach’s excited voice brought their attention back to the images flashing above his keyboard. “Check this out!” He punched a key on the keyboard, and a single image appeared in the air above him.

No, Akira realized as he moved to stand behind his best friend. It wasn’t a single image. It was a video feed. It was dark, making it almost impossible to see what was happening, but he could detect some kind of movement. “What is this?”

“Just watch.”

As time ticked by, they could see that there was more and more movement happening, though the screen remained dark. But then a light flared into existence, then another, then another, until they could finally see what was happening.

The first thing they saw were people. A _lot_ of people. And, as more light burst into life, Akira could see that they were all gathered in what looked like a courtyard or a square of some kind.

“Isn’t this amazing?” Hayach’s tone was that of hushed awe, and his honey-brown eyes were bright with excitement. “Someone in the chat rooms sent out an invite at the end of Leo’s speech. Look at how many people have already shown up!”

“What are they all doing?” Hoshi asked. “And where?”

“They’re in Church Square. See?” Hayach lifted a finger towards a structure in the background of the video. “That’s the Old City Church.” He then moved his finger to a large wall that stood on its own, the edges of it blackened. “This was the Sanchez family home,” he said quietly, turning to look at Leandro. “This is where your family lived when they came here . The Galra had it burned to the ground after they were executed.”

They all were silent as they watched the events unfold on the screen. “Look,” Petra said softly, moving to tuck herself into Leandro’s side. “Something’s happening.”

More light had appeared, and now they could see the entire scene in perfect clarity. They could see more people streaming into the courtyard--- Akira guessed there were at least two hundred people there ---- and three ladders had now been propped up against the wall of the former Sanchez home. As they watched, people began to make their way up the ladders. “What ---” Leandro asked, his voice a whisper.

“They’re tagging the wall!” Dante suddenly exclaimed, “Sweet heavens, it’s a tag party!”

All of the other paladins turned to look at him.

“What?” he asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I wanted to be an artist at one point in my life. I attended my share of these events.”

“But what _is_ a, ah…” Curran cocked his head to the side. “’Tag party’?”

“Tagging is another name for street art. Graffiti, but professional graffiti, See those people on the ladders? They all have cans of paint. They will use them to paint an image on the wall. Each person will paint a small portion of a larger image. Everyone gets a turn until the entire image is formed.”

“Oh.” Alina leaned in over Hayach’s shoulder so that she could peer closer at the screen. “But how do they know what the picture is supposed to look like? I mean, if they are each just doing a small portion of it, won’t they be afraid it will look like…. I don’t know. A giant blob?”

“The finished image is decided beforehand,” Dante explained. “Everyone just gets their turn to add to it. It’s a mosaic, if you will. A large image made from several smaller ones.”

“So what is this image going to be? Do we know?”

Hayach turned to look at Leandro, his face turning soft, his voice gentle. “It’s going to say ‘ _Recuerdo la familia Sanchez’.”_

Leandro inhaled sharply, his eyes going wide and watery. “Oh,” he whispered.

“Someone suggested this on one of the chat rooms, and, like, a _ton_ of people responded. _They_ \--- the people --- did all of this.”

“What does that mean?” Alina asked, still watching the video feed. “I heard you say it at the end of the broadcast, but I --- Leo?”

But her blue paladin was unable to answer, as his hands were currently covering his face and his shoulders were trembling as he started to cry.

The realization that a member of the Sanchez family was still alive threw everything into chaos. Hayach reported that the chat rooms were blowing up: the Galra had lied to them about Leandro’s death, about the motivation behind the Sanchez family’s rebellion. If they had been lying about that, what else could they be lying about?

There were riots in Neon City for the first time in a decade. The Galran governor was trying to quell them without much success. People had even started to tag the walls in the city itself. And when the Galra took one down, two more went up.

Leandro became a celebrity overnight. Members of the Deliverance were flooding the Castle in order to meet him, to shake his hand, to tell him how his family had inspired them. People were clamoring to join the Deliverance, and Alina was having Hoshi shuttle Leandro around the Outskirts in a series of recruitment events.

Which meant that Akira had not seen his partner in days.

He was trying not to let it bother him. Leandro wasn’t _his,_ didn’t owe him anything. And this was what Alina had wanted all along. Besides, Leandro had told him that he wanted to do this. So, really, he had no reason to be upset by the other man’s absence.

But he _missed_ Leandro. The two of them had spent time together every day for over a month now, and going for so long without hearing his voice made Akira feel _itchy_ inside. Restless. 

He and Dante were currently sitting at their kitchen table, eating dinner, when the older man sat his fork down with a sigh. “Okay, Kira, Spill it.”

Akira looked up from where he had been pushing his food around on his plate, blinking in confusion. “Spill? What’s spilled?”

“ _You_ need to spill. You’re being moodier than usual. What gives?”

A scowl immediately crossed his face. “I am _not_ moody.”

His brother-in-law let out an inelegant snort. “You’ve spent the past week walking around looking as though you have a thundercloud hanging over your head. Which is unusual, even for you.” He paused. “Is it because of Leo?”

Akira willed himself not to react, but he could still feel warmth flood into his cheeks. “Why would you think this was about Leo? He’s not here.”

“Which, I am assuming, is the reason for the thundercloud. You miss him.”

He put his own fork down and let out a heavy sigh. “Yes,” he said with a grumble. “And I feel so _stupid._ It is _ridiculous_ to feel like this. I know that. But…” He shrugged. “I’ve seen him every day, talked to him every day. He’s become this… _fixed point_ in my life now, and with him gone I feel like I’ve gotten knocked off my axis.” He let out a groan and dropped his head to the table with a _thunk._ “Shit. I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

Dante laughed softly. “It’s not stupid, Ki. Not at all. You care about him. Anyone who sees you two together can see that. Of course it’s going to be hard for you to be away from him.”

“It’s just… He’s so _selfless_! I have never met anyone who cares less about himself than Leandro Sanchez. He worries about everyone else and never thinks about himself. I know Hoshi is with him and will make sure to keep him safe, but I just worry that he’s not taking care of himself. That he’s giving too much of himself to everyone else and not keeping anything for himself.”

“Have you tried calling him? Hoshi and I have a video chat every night.”

Akira paused at this. The thought of calling his partner had never even crossed his mind. “I wouldn’t want to bother him,” he said slowly. “I’m sure he’s busy. Besides, he probably wouldn’t appreciate me nagging him.”

“I can assure you that you don’t need to worry about that. He cares about you, too. Don’t think your brother and I haven’t noticed how close he has gotten to you, how he’s been touching you much more lately.”

Akira felt the heat in his face increase, and he placed his head back down onto the table. “You make it sound like it’s something special, but it’s not. He does it with Petra, too.” _Though I wish it was just me sometimes._

“Exactly. That’s how he shows affection to the people he cares about. And he rarely is near you without touching you in some way. Because he _cares.”_

Akira fell silent as he absorbed Dante’s words. He knew how his partner felt about Petra, how deeply Leandro loved her. She was his world, and he would do anything for her without a second thought.

But how did he feel about Akira? Surely Leandro didn’t _love_ him like he loved Petra. He might have strong feelings, but there was no way love was one of them. He knew they had moved beyond friendship, but into what, exactly?

“Dante?” Akira’s voice was quiet “Do you think… I mean, I know that he and I are _friends,_ but… Does he…” He broke off, not quite sure how to ask the question burning through his mind.

“Call him,” was the other man’s response. “Even if it is just a quick call to say ‘Hey, how are you?’ He’ll appreciate the thought, if nothing else. If you call and he answers, you get to talk to him, ease your mind a bit. If he doesn’t answer, then at least he’ll see that you tried. What is there to lose?”

_What is there to lose?_

Dante’s earlier words came ringing back as Akira stared at his comm, his face reflected in the orange plastic. He’d been looking at it for the past five minutes, trying to decide if he wanted to make the call or not. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he _did_ have something to lose.

His sanity.

He let out a groan of frustration as he threw the device onto his nightstand before flopping face-first down onto his bed. _This is ridiculous,_ he thought, not for the first time He was a grown man. He was the most feared assassin in Neon City. He killed Galran warriors without a second thought. And yet the thought of calling Leandro Sanchez just to chat with him nearly drove him to panic.

 _Just call him, you coward,_ he told himself firmly. _He’s probably busy, or asleep, and won’t even answer the call anyways. Then you can say you tried and move on._

But he wanted Leandro to answer, right? That was the whole reason Akira was calling him, to talk to him and make sure he was all right.

To just hear his voice for a few minutes.

He let out another groan. _Gods,_ he thought miserably. _What is_ wrong _with me?_

He spent another five minutes silently debating with himself before lifting his head and reaching over to grab his communicator from his nightstand. _I’m calling him,_ he told himself sternly. _If he doesn’t answer, he’ll at least see that you made the effort to reach out to him. And then he can call you back if he wants to._ Which would put the ball firmly in Leandro’s court, relieving Akira of any further responsibility in the matter.

Before he could lose his courage, Akira pulled up Leandro’s number and hit dial.

He heard the first ring, and the panic he had barely been able to hold back earlier slammed into him full force. _Shit. What am I doing?_

A second ring had him franticly searching for something to vomit in. _This is so stupid. Hang up._ Hang up!

He moved his thumb so that it hovered over the disconnect button, ready to end the call before the third ring could finish. But then ---

 _Click._ “Kira! Oh, man. You have no idea how happy I am to hear from you.”

_Leo._

Akira looked down at the screen in his hand and saw his partner’s face looking back at him. Leandro’s eyes looked tired, and his hair was an absolute mess. But the grin that stretched across his face was wide and real.

And, just like, all of Akira’s earlier doubts and fears were gone. This was _Leo_ he was talking to. His partner. His friend. Someone that he cared about, someone that he trusted. Talking to him came just as naturally to Akira as talking to Hayach or Hoshi.

He felt his own smile start to form. “Hey there, Sharpshooter. How is it going? Are you enjoying a life of fame?”

The other man let out one of his dramatic sighs. “Oh, you know how it is. Shaking everyone’s hand, kissing everyone’s baby, giving speeches every night, posing for pictures with all of the pretty girls. Just the usual stuff.”

He tried to let Leandro’s comment about ‘pretty girls’ slide past him, refusing to let that flicker of jealousy take root. “Mmm. Sounds taxing.”

“ _So_ taxing. But it is a struggle that I am willing to endure. For the people, of course.”

“Of course.” Akira rolled over so that he was lying on his back, then scooted up the bed until he was leaning against his headboard. “Want to tell me how things are _really_ going?”

This time, Leandro’s sigh was weary as he scrubbed at his face. “Exhausting. Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad I did this. It feels good, knowing that I’m doing something to make a difference. But…” He paused for a moment, and Akira could see something flash in his partner’s eyes that made his insides twist painfully. “Everyone wants something from me. Some kind of future favor or a guarantee of some position or perk if they join the Deliverance. And these are the _nice_ people.”

Akira frowned. “What do you mean?”

‘So, these meetings are open to the public, right? You know, ‘Come and learn about the Deliverance and see what we can do for you! Guest starring the reportedly-deceased Sanchez son!’ And, for the most part, people have been great. But some have been… not so great?”

“How so?”

He shrugged. “I’ve had some people tell me that I’m a coward for not coming forward sooner. Honestly, I kind of expected that to happen. There are also a few people who are angry at me for invoking the wrath of the Galra. They say that they are willing to trade their freedom for safety. And I can’t blame them for being upset, either. I have potentially upended their entire way of life. But other people…” He paused to take a deep breath, and this time Akira was able to identify the emotion that he saw as pain. _Deep_ pain. Raw. “Some have said that I should have died with the rest of my family.”

Akira was on his feet before he realized he was moving, reaching for his clothes with his free hand. “Where are you?” he asked, not recognizing the deep, angry growl that come from his mouth. “I’m coming to get you.”

On the screen, his partners eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“You’ve done enough.” _Damn it, where did I put my pants?_ “You’ve done _more_ than enough You’ve gone far above and beyond what Alina asked you to do. You don’t owe us anything more than what you’ve already given. I will _not_ let you be subjected to that kind of shit. So just tell me where you are, and I will –“

\--”

“Kira? Kira, stop. _Stop!_ You don’t have to come to my rescue. I am not some damsel in distress.”

Akira scowled down at him.

Leandro blew out a long breath. “Okay, yes. I am obviously in some distress. But I don’t need you to come and save me. Honestly.” He tried to give his signature grin, but it never reached his eyes. “Besides, Hoshi makes sure to chase off anyone who starts getting too nasty. Your brother is almost as intimidating as you.”

 _Hoshi._ In his single-minded determination to get his partner out of his current situation, Akira had completely forgotten that his brother was there as well. Of course Hoshi would protect Leandro. Akira had nothing to worry about.

He could feel himself relax, but only marginally. “If it gets to be too much, promise me you’ll tell Hoshi. He’ll bring you back here as soon as you say the word.”

‘And if he doesn’t, you’ll ride to my rescue?”

‘Damn right, I will.”

On the screen, Leandro’s face had turned soft. He still looked tired, and Akira had realized that the state of his hair was most likely due to Leandro running his hands through it multiple times. But the pain Akira had glimpsed earlier was nowhere to be seen. “I hope we get to come home soon,” he said, his voice dropping into a quieter tone. “I… I miss you. I wanted to call you sooner, but.. Well, I thought you might think it was stupid of me to be calling you like this. I mean, it kind of is. But I’m homesick, you know? And you… You mean home to me.”

Akira felt his brain start to short-circuit. _Home?_ he thought numbly. _He thinks of me as… home?_

Oblivious to the shock he had just thrown in his partner into, Leandro continued to ramble on. “I know we’re moving to a new location tomorrow. We keep moving around so the Galra can’t get a lock on our location. But I don’t know how long we’ll be there, or if we have plans to go anywhere else afterwards.” He paused. “Kira?”

The sound of his name being called brought Akira back to the conversation at hand. “Yeah,” he replied. Then blew out a breath, a smile following behind that. “Yeah, I miss you, too. I… Well, I want you back home. Soon.

A look of surprise crossed Leandro’s face at hat. “Oh. You.. miss me? Really?”

“Yeah. A lot, actually. Dante told me tonight that I’ve been moody since you left.” He moved to sit on the edge of his bed. “I’m sorry I didn’t call _you_ sooner. I didn’t think about it, honestly. I thought you would be busy, and that I would just be bothering you.”

“You could never be a bother to me, Kira. I would drop everything to talk to you.”

The two men fell silent at this, both of them lost in his own thoughts. Akira’s mind latched on to the fact that his partner had said that he missed him. Leandro --- beautiful, reckless, selfless Leandro --- missed _him._ Akira, who was awkward, stubborn, scarred, and usually covered in engine grease. And he was happy Akira had called him. He wanted to come home. To _Akira._ Not Petra. Not the Castle. But him.

Another long, heavy sigh came from the screen. “I should probably get off of here,” Leandro said quietly, sounding reluctant. “We have an early start tomorrow, and I haven’t even started my bedtime routine. Would it be all right if I called you tomorrow night? It’s going to be another long day of hand-shaking and baby-kissing, and it would be nice to have something to look forward to after it’s all over.”

“Will this be before or after the picture-taking?” _Jealousy, thy name is Akira._ But he didn’t bother to hide it.

A slow, knowing smile broke across Leandro’s face, and Akira knew --- he _knew_ \--- that his partner understood. “Mmmm. Maybe I’ll skip that part tomorrow.” He tilted his head to the side, and, when he next spoke, his voice had gone quiet once more. “But seriously. Thank you. For talking to me. For _listening_ to me. You don’t know how much I needed this. Needed _you._ ”

Akira felt his heart pound inside his chest, and his mouth was suddenly dry. “That’s what friends do, right?”

Leandro lifted an eyebrow at that. “Is that what you think we are?” he said, a light teasing to his words. “Friends?”

Akira didn’t know how to respond to that.

On the screen, Leandro’s smile had widened. “Don’t think too hard about it, Samurai. Go get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

As if he was going to be able to sleep after _this_ conversation. “ _You’re_ the one who needs to rest,” he grumbled. “All those girls to flirt with.”

Leandro laughed at this, throwing his head back and laughing with his whole body, and it warmed Akira to his soul to hear it. “Don’t worry, Kira,” he said with a wink. “None of them are as pretty as you are.”

Then he was gone.

Akira dropped his communicator onto the bed and buried his face in his hands, utterly thankful that there was no one else in the room with him.

_Gods._

_I’m falling in love with him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you SO MUCH for reading! For giving my boys all the love. Please feel free to leave comments, constructive criticism, ideas, song lyrics, thoughts, anything! I appreciate any and all feedback!


	12. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Outlaws are finally reunited, and Leandro struggles to identify what his relationship with his partner actually is. Especially when someone from Akira's past decides to make an appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has been the Chapter from Hell. I started it, then re-started it, wrote half of it, started all over, then repeated this process about five times. But I finally have something that I am very, VERY happy with, andd I hope you will be, too!
> 
> Also, I am so excited that Neon City Outlaws now has OVER 1000 HITS! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has taken a chance on this story and shown my boys some love. (You know how much Leo loves the attention.) I hope you all continue this journey with me!

When he and Hoshi climbed into their vehicle, both men let out heavy sighs and leaned back into their seats, closing their eyes. Leandro felt weary to the bone, as though he would never not be tired again. The only thing keeping him going at the moment was the knowledge that he was finally going home.

He’d been thinking about home a lot lately, ever since he had left the Castle nearly two weeks ago. He had realized, after the second day of being away, that he was homesick, and it made him wonder about when he had started to think of the Castle as home. After another few days of thinking, he came to the understanding that it wasn’t the Castle itself that he thought of as home, but, rather, it was the people who resided within it. It was Petra, to whom he owed everything. It was Hayach and Hoshi, who had immediately taken him in without question, and made him feel like family. It was Curran, who had gone out of his way to give Leandro a job that he loved because the Altean man knew that Leandro needed those kids in his life as much as they needed him in theirs.

And it was Akira, who had come to mean more to him than Leandro had thought possible. When he thought about the other man, his heart ached for him. It ached to see him, to hear his voice, to touch his skin. His body ached to breathe him in, to hold him close, to simply know that he was there.

_They_ were his home. _They_ were the reason why he was still going instead of lying in a corner somewhere, licking at his emotional wounds.

Next to him, Hoshi let out a groan as he leaned forward to start the car. “I cannot wait to get home and sleep in my own damn bed again.”

Leandro cracked one eye open at those words. “You’re more excited about seeing your bed than your husband??”

“Mmm. I would prefer it if my husband was in the bed with me, but, yes. Right now, sleep is what I am looking forward to the most. Uninterrupted sleep. With no alarm.” He steered the vehicle onto the highway. ‘What about you? What are you planning on doing once we get back?”

Leandro shrugged. “Probably go see Kira. He should be working in the garage when we get back.”

“Does he know you’re coming home?”

Leandro didn’t miss the way Akira’s brother had said “you” and not “we”, and, for some reason, it made him squirm a bit. “Uh, no, actually. Well, I mean, _I_ didn’t tell him. I don’t know if anyone else did. I thought it would be kind of a surprise, you know? Just show up and be all ‘Ta da!’”

His companion chuckled softly. “I know he’ll be happy to see you.”

“Not as happy as I will be to see him,” Leandro murmured fervently. And he meant it.

These past two weeks had not exactly been kind to him. He had known that there would be people who were angry with him. After all, by announcing himself and his intentions, he was upsetting what had already been a very delicate balance between the Galra and the other inhabitants. Some people didn’t mind trading in their freedom for safety. Some did not want the Galra to increase their grip on the rest of the population. He did not blame them for being angry at him. It was the comments about the rest of his family --- especially about Julian and Novia --- that shook him, that made him question everything he had done since the day they had been executed.

”You should have just let Julian die,” one person had said angrily. “Then the rest of your family would still be alive, and none of this would have happened.”

“You already cost your family their lives,” another one had snapped. “Now you’re going to cost us ours as well. Better that your children died than mine!”

Some part of Leandro understood that these people, these complete strangers, did not mean what they were saying. They were frightened, and frightened people tended to lash out. He just happened to be the target for that fear.

But it still hurt.

Hoshi did his best to be a comfort during this time. He always checked in with the younger man at the beginning and end of each day, asking Leandro how he was feeling, and was there anything he could do to help. If he thought Leandro was having an exceptionally rough day, he would argue with his companion about cancelling that day’s event. Leandro always refused, of course, but he appreciated the sentiment. And he knew that he could talk to Hoshi if he really needed to, knew that the other man would simply sit and listen to him anytime he needed it.

But it was his nightly phone calls with Akira that kept him from dropping back into that deep darkness he had clawed his way out of before. It was knowing that, no matter how bad the day was, he had someone waiting for him that night that kept him going. On the bad days, he would just sit and cry and tell Akira everything that had happened, and his partner would automatically threaten to kill anyone who had hurt him. He would then begin to describe the different ways in which the murders would happen, his descriptions so outlandish that Leandro would laugh until he couldn’t breathe. Sometimes Leandro would prop his comm up on the bathroom sink while he went through his extensive nightime skincare routine, fielding Akira’s many questions and comments. And, sometimes, they wouldn’t even talk at all. Leandro would just leave the comm on, lying there in the dark, listening to the sound of Akira’s breathing, knowing that the other man was right there if he needed him the only thing that allowed the blue paladin to fall asleep.

Tonight, however, he wouldn’t have just a face on a screen. Tonight, he would have the real thing. That thought alone nearly made Leandro leap out of the car and run all the way back to the Castle.

“You’re good for him, you know.”

The sound of Hoshi’s quiet voice had Leandro opening both eyes and turning to face him. “What was that?”

“Akira. You’re good for him. You have been, ever since you arrived.”

Leandro turned is face away, feeling as though his expression might say too much to his partner’s brother. “I don’t see how. He’s done far more for me than I have for him.”

Hoshi made a humming noise. “Perhaps so. But that doesn’t change the fact that I have never seen my brother as happy as he is when he is with you.”

The words caught him off guard, and Leandro felt his eyes go wide in surprise. “You think,” he said, speaking slowly, ”that I make Kira happy?”

There was a long moment of silence, then his companion let out a sigh that sounded as though the weight of the world was behind it. “Akira has not had… the easiest life,” he said quietly. “He was so young when our parents were murdered, and then spent all those years living on the streets, hiding from the Galra. I know that it wasn’t my fault that I was captured, but I still feel guilty when I think about those two years he was on his own. He should have been in school, worrying about grades and cute boys and life in general. He shouldn’t have been living in a shack, nearly starving, trying to figure out how he was going to break into a Galra prison so he could free me.”

He fell silent again. Leandro didn’t push, knowing that this was something that Hoshi did not speak about often, and knowing that he wouldn’t be telling him now unless he felt it was important.

When he did speak again, his voice was stronger, determined. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that Kira doesn’t have any friends besides Hayach. Well, besides you and Petra now, of course. Basically, he has no one outside of Team Voltron. He’s never even had a boyfriend, for stars’ sake. He says it’s because he doesn’t want the Galra to have anyone to use against him in case his identity as The Mechanic is ever discovered, but I think it’s more than that. I think he just doesn’t want to get close to people. He lost our parents so long ago, and then he lost me for a while. Has he told you about his and Dante’s relationship? He hated Dante for so long when we first met, because he thought Dante was taking me away from him. He’s scared and he’s lonely. He’ll never admit it, just tell you that he knew this was the life he would be living when he took up this mantle of assassin, but I know better. He wants people in his life. He wants to have that someone that is just his, the person that will always be there for him no matter what. I can’t be that person for him, not anymore, because I am that person for Dante.

“The day he met you --- when he dropped off Alina’s package --- he talked about you all during dinner. He talked about how you had flirted with him, had asked for his number. He told us that you had blue eys and brown, curly hair. He talked about your smile. And then he talked about your freckles. Dear Gods in the Heavens, I have never heard anyone talk about freckles as much as he did that day.”

Unconsciously, Leandro lifted a hand to his face. “He… He likes my freckles?”

The other man snorted. “He _loves_ your freckles. I mean, he has always been attracted to men with freckles, but I am fairly certain he could write poetry about yours.” Hoshi shook his head. “He’d never talked about anyone before. I know he has had… partners, but it has never been anyone he was interested in romantically. I tried to ask him about it a few times, but he just said it was the way it had to be. I have no idea who they were --- or _are._ As far as I know, you are the only person he has ever shown any actual interest in. And I thought --- hoped --- that you could be something to him. He was going to give you his number, you know. When he went back to give you the second half of the payment. Hayach and I had badgered him all night and all morning about it, and he had at least agreed to give you the number for his comm.”

“He never told me that.”

This seemed to surprise Hoshi, but then he shrugged. “Well, after everything that happened next, I suppose it doesn’t matter. He was so upset after Alina revealed her plan. He blamed himself for the whole thing, thought you were going to hate him forever.”

Leandro let out a snort. “Oh, yeah. I know. The first day we trained together he tried to get me to hit him. He was trying to find a way to make everything up to me, and he thought me punching him in the face would be a good start.” He shook his head. “I didn’t, obviously. I told him I didn’t blame him. I was angry with him at first, sure. But that was because I was scared and confused. And I saw how upset he was with Alina. I knew he had no idea what she had been planning. Took him awhile to believe that, though.”

“That boy would take on the problems of the whole world if we let him,” Hoshi mumbled. Then he sighed. “Look. I know Kira is an adult, and I really shouldn’t meddle in his life, but I am still his big brother. I still worry about him. I don’t want him to spend the rest of his life alone. I want him to find his person, you know? I want him to have someone like I have Dante. And I think --- I hope ---he may have found it in you.”

Leandro was silent for a moment as he digested these words. He knew he cared for Akira, far more than he had ever cared for anyone else besides Petra. He knew that something inside of him always seemed to settle when his partner was near. And when the other man smiled at him --- just at him --- it made his heart do funny things. “Do you really think so?” he finally asked, voice soft and hesitant.

Hoshi replied without any hesitation. “Absolutely. Whenever you two are in the same room he’s always searching you out, like he has to know where you are. And he can’t take his eyes off of you. Whenever he thinks you’re not looking, he watches you with this look on his face that I’ve never seen before.” He looked at his companion out of the side of his eye, and when he next spoke, his voice had dropped into a lower tone. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed how you are around him, too. How you’re always touching him, like you need to make sure he is still there. I don’t know what the two of you have, but it is certainly something. And I can tell you that it is far more than anything he has ever had before.”

Those words, the knowledge that he meant something to Akira that no one else ever had, made something warm and light settle into Leandro’s chest. “I care about him, too,” he said quietly. “A lot. I know… I know I tend to fling myself at people. Just like he is scared to get too close, I am scared to let go. I had a large family. I was always surrounded by love and physical affection. It’s… been hard to not have that. Most of the time I scare people off by how intense I can be, by how quickly I want that contact, those touches like you see. He’s never run away from me. He’s never asked me to stop. He lets me reassure myself that he is still there. And, sometimes, he’ll even reach out to me first.” He stopped long enough to draw in a deep breath. “I think… I think I love him. I don’t know. I’ve never had a relationship, either. Not a real one. But I know… I know that I feel better with him. That I _am_ better with him. And I hope that I can be for him what he is for me.”

Silence filled the car, and Leandro began to wonder if he had said the wrong thing. But then Hoshi reached out and gripped his shoulder. “Thank you,” the older man said quietly. “Just knowing that you care about him, and that he cares about you in return… Thank you. That’s all I have to say.”

“You’re welcome.” Then, because he couldn’t help himself, Leandro grinned widely and said “He doesn’t always make it easy, though.”

Hoshi laughed, a full-bodied, genuine laugh. “No. I don’t imagine he does.” Then he gave his own grin. “However, I have found that the best ones usually don’t.”

Hoshi took them through an entrance that Leandro had never seen before, explaining that it led to the back of the garage, farther away from Akira’s workshop, which would give Leandro a better chance of surprising him. It was hidden behind a low, squat building and, like the main entrance, was gated and accessible only by an access chip. Hoshi pulled the vehicle into the middle parking row and turned off the engine. When the two climbed out, they could hear music drifting down from the other end, a sure sign that Akira was working.

Hoshi grinned at his companion over the top of the car as he hoisted his bag onto his shoulders. “Good luck.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have a bed --- and a husband --- to get back to, remember?” Then he turned and began to jog towards the corner of the garage, where Leandro assumed another elevator --- or at least a stairwell --- would take him back to the Castle.

Leandro watched him go before he turned and began making his way to the other end of the garage.

Now that he was here, now that he was so close to --- close to what? The object of his desire? Affection? Longing? --- Akira, all of his earlier exhaustion was gone, drowned beneath a wave of nervous anticipation. He wanted to see Akira, wanted to see the look on the other man’s face when he saw Leandro, realized he was home.

As the workshop came into view, Leandro sent up a silent yet fervent prayer of thanks to whomever had made it so that the vast majority of a vehicle’s malintents required one to be under the car. Akira was currently lying on a creeper seat, the top half of his body hidden underneath the car. The other half was on view for Leandro, and what a view it was. The hem of his tank top had ridden up, exposing a strip of pale flesh and the tops of what looked lke a significantly deep V-cut.

He let himself enjoy the view a little while longer (at one point, Akira had to stretch, causing his shirt to ride up even more, and Leandro nearly swooned when he saw what looked like very defined abs), but when a break in the music came, he called out “Hey, honey! I’m home!”

There was a loud clank from underneath the car, followed by several curse words. Then the creeper seat was moving, pushing Akira out until Leandro could see all of him.

He couldn’t help but grin at the sight of his partner. Everywhere that Leandro looked, Akira was covered in oil and grease. It was smudged onto his face, his hair, his shoulders, his arms, his chest. Even his safety glasses had dark smudges on them. But, to Leandro, he was the most beautiful man he had ever seen.

And when he smiled, that wide, brilliant smile that Leandro had only seen once before but had immediate fallen in love with, the dirt and grime seemed to disappear.

“Leo!” he cried joyfully. “You’re back!” He quickly got to his feet, tossing his safety glasses aside as he took a step forward. But then he stopped, looking down at his filthy tank top and smudged pants. “Oh. Err…”

Leandro snorted. “Do you really think I care about some dirt?” he asked, dropping his bag. “I’ve missed you too damn much for that.” And, to prove it, he quickly covered the distance between the two of them, throwing his arms around his partner, burying his face into the side of his neck and breathing him in.

Cinnamon and campfire smoke.

Engine grease and motor oil.

Home.

He felt Akira’s arms go around him and squeeze him tight. “I missed you, too,” his partner murmured into his hair. “Stars, but it is good to have you back. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he replied, gently skimming his nose over his partner’s warm skin. “Did it work?”

Akira chuckled, and Leandro marveled at the way it made the other man’s chest rumble against his. “You surprised me, all right. Though you probably would have preferred to have me take a shower first. I’ve been down here all day working on this piece of shit.”

Leandro pulled his head back just enough so that he could look into Akira’s eyes, a grin already pulling at his lips. “I told you I don’t mind the dirt. Besides, I think you’re way sexier when you’re all sweaty and smudgy.”

Leandro had been expecting his partner to blush at this, but, instead, Akira threw his head back and let out a long, full laugh. “You think _this_ is sexy? Ah, Leo. You must be delirious with exhaustion if you think this is anything but gross.”

“Mmmm. I always think you’re sexy.” He winked.

Akira blinked at him for a moment, and Leandro felt his grin spread at the rush of color that flooded the other man’s cheeks before he shook his head. “What the hell am I going to do with you?” he said, his tone fond. “Come on. Let me walk you back to your room. I need to stop for the day, anyways.”

He jogged to his workshop so that he could turn off his music and gather up his things, while Leandro retrieved his bag. When the blue paladin returned to his partner’s side, Akira held out his hand.

Leandro blinked down at it. “I can carry by bag, Kira. It’s not that heavy.”

Akira let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’m not trying to take your bag, Leo.”

Leandro frowned at the preferred hand. If he didn’t want to carry Leandro’s bag, then why…..

And then he realized what Akira meant.

_Oh._

He lifted his eyes back up to find Akira waiting, a small, almost shy smile on his face. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he said quietly. “Just say no. Or shake your head. I don’t want to do anything that makes your uncomfortable.”

“No!” Leandro blurted out. Then, when he saw Akira’s eyes widen, he quickly shook his head. “I mean, yes! No, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. Not at all.” He reached out then, placing his hand in his partner’s, expecting Akira to wrap his fingers around his. Instead, the red paladin wove his fingers through Leandro’s, and left them there.

He stared down at their joined hands with what he imagined was a very goofy grin on his face. _He’s holding my hand_ , he though giddily. _He is actually holding my hand!_

Akira’s own smile went from shy to brilliant, and Leandro mentally added two points to his long-forgotten tally. “Come on, Sharpshooter. Let’s get you home.”

_I already_ am _home_ , he thought. But this moment was too precious --- and too precarious --- for him to possibly ruin, so he stayed silent as he let his partner tug him forward.

Neither of them spoke as they waited for the elevator car to arrive. And, once they had stepped inside, Leandro leaned his head over onto Akira’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Now that he was was home, now that he was safe, the overwhelming exhaustion from the past two weeks was beginning o catch up to him.

“Are you sure about this?” he murmured, squeezing their joined hands.

“What do you mean?’

“Just that… People get certain ideas if they see two people holding hands like this.”

Akira shifted next to him. “Does that bother you? Afraid people might see us and think the great Leandro Sanchez is slumming it with the grumpy, grungy mechanic?” Leandro knew that he meant it as a joke, but there was a thread of hesitation underneath the humor that he couldn’t mistake.

He snorted. “Please. If anyone is slumming, it’s you. I mean, seriously. The only thing people are going to think when they see us together is ‘Man, that Leandro Sanchez is the luckiest guy in the universe right now’.”

“Charmer.” Akira leaned his head over onto Leandro’s. “And, to answer your question, yes, I am sure. I don’t give a Galra’s ass what other people think about me. The only people whose opinions matter already know how I feel about you, and they are quite happy with it. So let people think what they will. Unles… Will it bother _you_?”

“Fuck, no. I already told you. People are going to be so envious of me. As well they should be. Cause I am a pretty damn lucky guy right now.”

Akira chuckled quietly, and Leandro couldn’t keep a wide smile off his face. _The only people who matter already know how I feel about you._

He wondered what that meant. What had he said to the others while Leandro had been gone? What had they said back? And just how _did_ Akira feel about him?

These were questions that he decided could wait to be answered later. Right now, he was just going to enjoy the feeling of their fingers twined around one another, palms pressed together, and the fact that neither of them cared what anyone else thought about it.

Petra was waiting for them as they entered the apartment, alerted by the sound of the access panel’s chirp, a wide grin on her face. “Hey, Leo!” she called out happily. “Welcome back!” Then her gaze dropped, falling onto their joined hands, and her grin grew even wider. “Well, it’s about damn time. Hayach owes me a date. You two want some alone time?”

Leandro made an indignant, sputtering sound, but Akira just laughed. “I’m afraid I am only here to drop him off. He’s about to fall over as it is.”

Petra let out a dramatic sigh that, had it not been made at his expense, Leandro would have been quite proud of. “Ah, well. I was rather hoping to get that new laser-cutting tool set as well. One step at a time, I suppose.” She waved an airy hand as she turned back towards the kitchen. “Off to bed with you, then.”

_Date_? Leandro thought dazedly. _Laser-cutting tools_?

Akira pulled him into the bedroom and ordered him to sit on the bed. Leandro did so, finally understanding why Hoshi had been more excited about his bed than his husband. He looked down at his partner, who was kneelingon the floor so that he could unlace Leandro’s boots with a fond smile. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked, his voice beginning to slur from exhaustion. “There’s plenty of room for both of us.”

Akira looked up at that, and Leandro felt his breath catch as their gazes met. The look in Akira’s eyes was so focused, so intense, that Leandro felt as though the other man was looking all the way into his soul. “Not this time,” he said in a voice so low that it did very interesting things to Leandro’s insides.

Then his gaze shifted as he pulled the now unlaced boots off, and Leandro blinked, wondering if he had just imagined the whole thing. “There,” Akira said, climbing to his feet. “Now, get some rest. That’s an order.”

Then he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Leandro’s forehead.

Leandro’s eyes fluttered closed at the touch, and he had to reach out and grasp Akira’s shirt as a shudder ran through him. He remembered other times he had been kissed on the forehead: by his mother, after a nightmare, by his grandmother, when he had been sick. It always reminded him of comfort, of safety, of love. _This_ , he thought to himself, eyes suddenly stinging with tears _, is all I want. It’s all I have ever wanted_. “Don’t go,” he whispered, tightening his grip on the other man’s shirt. “Please.”

A soft sigh came from above him, and Akira reached out to gently grasp Leandro’s wrists, pulling his hands away from his shirt. “You need sleep,” he murmured. “And I need a shower.”

Then he reached down and grasped Leandro’s legs, swinging them up onto the bed. A moment later, a blanket was being pulled over him.

“This is the second time you’ve tucked me in,” he murmured drowsily. Or, at least, he thought he did. Because he didn’t remember anything else after that.

He dreamt he was back home, back in Cuba, the sun shining warmly onto his skin. He was walking along the beach, feeling the sun-warmed waters lapping at his ankles, laughing when he felt the sand beneath him being pulled away. He could see sailboats bobbing in the distance, and the smell of salt tinged the air.

And he wasn’t alone. Akira walked next to him, eyes wide as they stared out at the ocean. He was holding Leandro’s hand, and every time the water receded, he would tighten his grip until it was almost bone-crushing. “Let’s go back to solid land,” he said in a pleading voice that Leandro was certain he had never heard before.

He grinned at his partner. “Come on, you baby,” he teased. “You’re not going to fall. I promise.”

Akira glared at him. “Easy for _you_ to say. You –” He stopped, clutching at Leandro’s arm as a larger wave splashed around them before returning back out to sea. “You’ve done this a million times. I’ve never been to the ocean before. This is… unsettling.”

Leandro’s grin turned soft, and he gave Akira’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall. Besides.” He gestured to the ground beneath them. “Even if you did, you’d be fine. There’s not enough water to drown you.”

Akira shook his head. “I just feel like, if I fall, I’ll get swept out to sea and lost.” His gaze went back to the ocean, the sun turning his eyes a strange lavender color. “It’s just so _big_. And empty. How do people find their way across it?”

Leandro turned to look out at the ocean as well, trying to see it through his partner’s eyes. He supposed, to one seeing it for the first time, it would seem endless and terrifying. “Just think about it,” he murmured. “Long ago, our ancestors were able to find their way across the oceans simply by following the stars.” He turned a smile to Akira and gave his hand another squeeze. “if it weren’t for them, space flight would never have been achievable. And I never would have found my way to you.”

Akira ducked his head, opening his mouth to say something, but ---

_Riiiinnnnnggggg._

Leandro frowned as he looked around for the source of the strange noise. “Did you hear that?” he murmured. When there was no answer, he turned back around, only to find that he was now alone.

Panic gripped his heart. “Kira?” he called out, looking around wildly. “Kira, where are you? _Kira?”_

_Riiiiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg._

He spun back around, then gasped, eyes going wide, as he saw large, black holes forming in the sky. They were moving, tearing, eating away at the blue. What was happening? Were the Galra attacking? Where was Akira? And why did no one else seem to notice the holes in the sky?

_Riiiiiinnnnnnnngggggg._

Leandro let out a gasp as he sat up, eyes going wide. He glanced wildly around, heart hammering in his chest, as he tried to decipher where he was, what was happening. The sky was gone, but in its place was the familiar twinkle of the fairy lights that he always left on. There was no more ocean, but he did see his desk, his battered guitar case propped up next to it.

He felt his body relax as he realized that he was in his room at the Castle. Akira, the beach, the black holes int the sky, had all just been a dream. He had been ---

_Riiiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggg._

Leandro jumped at the loud, jarring sound that suddenly echoed through the room. Looking around, his eyes fell onto his nightstand, where he could see a bright orange glow. Realizing what was happening, he reached over and snatched his comm from the nightstand, hitting the answer button before it could ring again. “ _What?”_ he snarled, not een bothering to see who was calling him.

There was a moment of silence, then a cultured, lightly accented voice came through the speakers. “Hello, Leo. I am sorry I had to wake you --- I know you must be exhausted --- but I am afraid there is something that needs to be discussed right away.”

He let out a groan and flopped back onto the bed. “Couldn’t you have just sent me a message? Or something that didn’t require you calling to interrupt the only good dream I have had in _six fucking years?”_

Through the comm speaker, he could hear Alina’s heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Leo. I really am. But this is about your safety. About _all_ of our safety. And we cannot wait until a time that is convenient for everyone. That’s why I’m calling. I need you to come to the debriefing.”

Leandro threw an arm across his eyes. “No,” he said flatly. “I am _exhausted,_ Alina. I can get Petra to tell me what happened when she gets back. I need to go back to sleep.”

“I need you _here,_ Leo. I would not ask if it was not of the utmost importance.” She paused. “If you do not care for your own safety, then perhaps you should know that this puts Akira at a high risk of danger as well.”

He lifted his arm so that he could glare at the screen, teeth clenched. “You know, I’m starting to get real fucking tired of you using the people I care about to try and manipulate me.”

On the screen, Alina’s shoulders were back, spin straight, gaze fierce, and mouth set into a determined line. “I am not manipulating you, Leo, only stating facts. While this new information presents as a danger to us all, it will directly threaten you and Kira. This is information you need to hear first-hand.” She gave him a sharp nod. “I’ll see you in a few moments.”

The screen went blank.

Leandro stared at the blank screen for a moment before throwing back his blanket with a snarl. He found his boots where Akira had set them earlier and angrily tugged them on, all the while viscously spitting out words in Spanish. All of them were aimed at Alina, and none of them were flattering.

In his head, he knew he was being unkind. He knew that Alina wasn’t trying to manipulate him, that she wouldn’t have called him if it wasn’t important. After all, if she was requesting that all of the paladins be present, that meant that she had called to wake up Hoshi as well. And Leandro got the impression that the Altean woman would rather cut off her own arm than do anything that would upset her general.

But his heart was not so forgiving. He had been _dreaming,_ dammit! He couldn’t remember the last time he had dreamt. And it had been a _good_ dream, too. He could still feel the hot Cuban sun warming his face, the water swirling around his ankles, the feel of Akira’s hand in his. It had felt utterly like _home,_ and a part of him wouldn’t be able to forgive Alina for taking it from him.

By the time he got to the command center, he was having to work at keeping up the appearance of being cranky. However, before he could say or do anything that would let the rest of the team know how unhappy he was, he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him and lift him into the air.

_“Leo!”_ Hayach’s joyful shout echoed throughout the room. “Oh, man. It is _so_ good to have you back! It has been _way_ too boring around here without you, too quiet! No one else wants to play video games with me or keep me company while I cook. Plus, Kira has been _pinning_ over you. Like, seriously, lots of sad eyes and heavy sighing. It was starting to become unbearable.”

Leandro couldn’t help but laugh as he put his arms around the big man’s neck and hugged him back. “Hey, buddy. I missed you, too.”

The other paladin gave him another squeeze before setting him down, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he held Leandro out at arm’s length and looked him over with a critical eye. “Have you been eating?” he asked sternly. “You look like you’ve lost weight. And you were already skin and bones to begin with!”

Leandro grinned as he reached up to pat his friend’s hand. “I promise I ate, Hayach. Not everyone tries to feed me like you do.”

“Well, I’m going to make you some garlic knots tomorrow. We have to make sure you stay healthy!”

Leandro’s grin got even wider. “Hayach, you’re the best.” Then he leaned forward, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial tone. “Was Kira really pinning for me?”

“Like a puppy. You should have seen him. I don’t think he ever paid attention to the debriefings because he was too busy looking at his comm, in case you called early. Then, as soon as the debriefing was over, he was gone so he could get back to his apartment before you called.” Hayach shook his head, his own grin splitting his face. “ _And_ I heard that you two were holding hands earlier today?”

“Yeah, we were.”

There was no warning before Hayach was pulling him forward into a bone-crushing hug. “I am so happy about this! Do you have _any_ idea how long I have waited for this?”

Leandro couldn’t answer, even if he had wanted to, as his main air supply had suddenly been shut off. “Can’t… breathe… big guy.”

“Oh!” Hayach let him go, taking a step back. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just… got excited, you know? Kira has _never_ been interested in anyone before. Never. I mean, he’s a great guy. But he’s not so great with people. And it’s not because he doesn’t _care._ He just isn’t sure how. Getting close to people scares him. Which is why this is such a big deal. So just… be patient with him, yeah?”

Leandro nodded. “I will,” he said softly. “You know I care about him, too. A lot. I’m willing to do whatever he needs, as long as he is, as well.”

Hayach blinked at him a moment before his lower lip started to tremble. “Aw, man,” he said rubbing at his suddenly watery eyes. “Space dust. It gets me every time.”

Leandro didn’t say anything else, just patted the bigger man on the shoulder. He was grateful --- incredibly so --- that Akira had a friend like Hayach, someone who was so supportive and was genuinely happy for his best friend.

The sound of voices drew their attention to the room’s entrance just in time to see the subject of their discussion walk in, followed by the two other Kogane men. Akira was wearing his usual scowl, and there was a deep crease in between his brows that did not lessen as he made his way to Leandro’s side. “Did she wake you up?” the red paladin asked in a sharp voice.

Leandro blinked at him. “Well, hello to you, too, Ki.”

His partner went on as though he hadn’t heard him. “I told her not to bother you. I told her you were _exhausted._ Hoshi is, too.” He shook his head. “I told her we could take the information back, that you didn’t need to actually _be_ here. But I guess she---”

“Kira, stop. _Stop.”_ Leandro reached out and placed a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “It’s all right. I know she wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.”

The other man let out a huff. “It doesn’t matter. You two have been gone for two weeks on Deliverance business. And I know it’s been exhausting, emotionally and physically. You deserve some rest. She should understand that.”

Leandro slung his arm around Akira’s shoulders. “Hey, it means I get to spend more time with you, so I don’t mind at all. _Speaking_ of which…” He lowered his head and fluttered his eyelashes. “I heard you were _pnning_ for me while I was gone.”

Akira jerked as though he had been shocked. “I was _not!”_ he protested, though his face suddenly turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. “Yes, I missed you. I _told_ you I missed you. But I was not _pining.”_

“Hey, it’s all right.” Leandro grinned. “There is no shame in it. I would have pined after me, too. I _am_ incredibly handsome, after all.”

Akira spluttered, and Leandro couldn’t help but laugh as he mentally added two more points. To make sure his partner knew he was teasing, Leandro dropped his arm to Akira’s waist, giving it a squeeze, and leaving it there. Akira glared at him, but didn’t say anything else. Nor did he try to pull away. Behind them, Leandro was fairly certain he could hear Hayach sniffling.

Leandro wanted to say something else --- something smooth, something romantic, something to keep the color on Akira’s face --- but before he could Alina’s voice rang throughout the room. “Hello, paladins. Thank you all for coming. I know I had to wake some of you up, and I am so very sorry about that. But this is vital information that you all need to be aware of.”

Leandro frowned as he turned his attention to the Altean woman. On the comm screen, she had looked as she always did: fierce and determined. But now that he was seeing her in person, he noticed that she looked… tired. _Exhausted._ Maybe even more than he was. She had pulled her war braids back into a high pony tail, and he could see that there were dark shadows under her eyes. Her clothes fit loosely, as though she had suddenly lost weight, or had been wearing the same outfit for the past few days. And those brilliantly-toned eyes of hers were bloodshot and dull.

Leandro tightened his grip on Akira’s waist, pulling him just a bit closer. Whatever information their leader had it wasn’t good.

“Earlier today, Petra managed to intercept a press release from Sendak that is set to be released tomorrow.” She nodded to the other woman, and a moment later, the large monitor sprang to life, showing the enlarged face of the planet’s governor.

Leandro had seen Sendak several times over the years. He was, after all, the face of the Galra occupation. But it didn’t matter how many times Leandro saw him. This was still the man who had ordered his family’s execution. The _monster_ who had made the entire planet watch as, one by one, his loved ones were murdered. He still felt his jaw clench, his body tense, his chest tighten.

Next to him, Akira shifted just enough to slip out of his grasp. Before his arm could drop, however, the red paladin was reaching out, sliding his callous-roughened palm against his, sliding those long, slender fingers through his so that he could grip Leandro’s hand. _I’m here,_ the gesture seemed to say. _I’m right here is you need me._

“Citizens of the Galra Empire.” Sendak’s voice, which had always sounded to Leandro like rusting metal, boomed out through the room. “As you all know, this planet has been plagued by the rebel group known as the Deliverance for many years. Now they have taken their criminal acts to a new level, first by sending the so-called Neon City Outlaws to target Galran representatives, and now by having this imposter claim to be Leandro Sanchez in order to stir up dissent. In an effort to find these rebels and stop their terroristic acts, I have asked our emperor Zarkon for permission to call out the RoBeasts.

“I received word today that Emperor Zarkon has approved my request, and that one of the RoBeasts will be dispatched to us in the next day or two. I wanted to send this message out as I know many of you have never seen one of the RoBeasts in real life. Please do not be alarmed if you see him around the city. He may deem it necessary to interview some of you, but if you are a loyal citizen of the Empire and answer truthfully, you will have nothing to fear.” He paused. “And, if there are any members of the Deliverance listening to this, hear me now: We _will_ find you. We will find you, and we will put an end to your reign of insurrection. Your time is limited.” Then he placed a fist over his heart. “ _Vrepit sa.”_

The screen went dark.

For a long moment, no one spoke, the quiet so loud that it was nearly deafening as the paladins collectively held their breaths. It was only broken when Leandro uttered one, single word.

“Fuck.”

That seemed to break the spell that had fallen over the room, and everyone began to speak at once.

“How many are they sending? Just one? Or all three?” Next to him, Akira’s voice was sharp.

Hayach’s sounded frightened. “Do you think they know where we are? Or at least have an idea as to where we are? What if they find us? What would we do?”

But it was Hoshi’s strong voice that rang out over all of them. “Do we know _which_ one they are sending? We can better prepare if we know what we are up against.”

Alina let out a sigh that sounded as though it carried the weight of the whole world. Which, Leandro supposed, it did. “You all have valid questions, but, unfortunately, this is all the information we have at the moment. We will, of course, continue to monitor their communications and let you all know the instant we learn anything else.

“In the meantime, all Deliverance operations will cease. I don’t want any of you leaving the compound unless absolutely necessary. Especially you, Leo. They know your face and voice now, and I won’t risk you any more than I already have to. And, if an emergency arises and you must leave, you will not go alone. Is that understood?”

“Loud and clear. Trust me, I have no desire to go up against one of those _things.”_

The Galrans loved dealing out punishments. And, during their ten-thousand-year reign of terror across the universe, they had gotten quite good at it. Many of their prisoners, usually the milder ones, were simply kept in various prisons, left to rot away doing whatever menial jobs the Galra needed them to do. Some, like Leandro, were sent to work camps to performer hard labor for the Empire. Others, usually strong and healthy, were sent to fight in the entertainment arenas. (This, Akira had told him during one of their later-night conversations, was how Hoshi had lost his arm.) Political prisoners were either killed or indoctrinated. But the worst punishment, the one that horrified even the most loyal of non-Galran citizens, was the one that they reserved for those they considered to be traitors.

Once you were deemed a traitor to the Galran Empire, you were given to the group known as the Druids, which was made up of the top scientists in the Empire. They then used the traitor as their personal lab rat, practicing whatever new genetic modifications they had been working on. Some people whispered that the Druids didn’t use science at all, but magic. Whatever their method was --- magic or medical --- what emerged bore no resemblance to the person they had once been. They were now more machine than man. A genetically-modified bounty hunter. Another weapon in the Galra’s arsenal. A RoBeast.

Leandro had never seen one in person, thank God. But he had seen footage of them, had seen the destruction they could wreak. And he was already terrified of them. The idea that one was coming here, that they were coming for _him…_ He couldn’t stop another shudder from going through him. Akira tightened his grip.

“We’ll see if we can get any more information,” Alina was saying. “As soon as we learn anything further, we will let you know.” She lifted her chin, and the Alina that Leandro knew --- the fierce, determined warrior --- was back. “We _will_ find a way to take down this new threat, no matter how strong they may be. The Galra are scared, which means we have the upper hand.” Her eyes flicked to Leandro. “But I won’t sacrifice the safety of any of our people. So we will gather information, and we will plan. For now, let’s all go get some rest. We have a fight coming up.”

Akira had told him to take the day off, to take some time to rest and relax after having been gone for so long. But Leandro was feeling restless after they got the news about the RoBeast. Besides, he wanted to get to spend more time with the other man. So he woke up the next morning, had coffee and breakfast with Petra, got dressed, and headed towards the training room.

He was actually looking forward to their training session. He had not been able to attend them after their fight against the Juicers, then, just as Dante had cleared him for light workouts, he’d left for the recruitment tour. He missed the routine of it, missed that familiar burn of muscle, the feeling of satisfaction he got after a good workout.

And the fact that he would get to see Akira sweaty and wearing a tank top for the second day in a row was a pretty good motivator, too.

He felt a smile cross his face as he got closer to the training area, hoping that he would get to surprise his partner again. The way Akira had looked at him yesterday, that completely unguarded happiness, the wide eyes, the brilliant smile… He wanted to see it again. Hell, he wanted to see that every day for the rest of his life.

But as he slowed his steps, not wanting to give himself away, he became aware of the sound of voices coming from the training room. One he recognized as Akira’s. The other was clearly male and unfamiliar.

Leandro felt his smile slip into a frown. This was strange. Akira was one of the most regimented people he had ever met. When they were in training, they were in _training._ There was nothing else. No one else was invited to participate or even come to watch. Akira took Alina’s orders to train Leandro seriously. Which meant that whoever this stranger was, they were there because of something important.

Or someone had shown up uninvited and Akira hadn’t been able to get rid of them.

Leandro pressed himself to the outside wall, inching forward until he could slightly lean his head out into the open entrance of the training room, just enough so he could hear the conversation clearly. It wasn’t eavesdropping, not really. If it was an important conversation, then Leandro would know not to go in and interrupt them. And if it was the other, then he could go in and save Akira if need be.

“--- heard from you in over a month,” the stranger was saying, and Leandro could hear the pout in the voice. “I thought I would come and see you, make sure you were all right.”

“I haven’t had any reason to contact you,” said Akira in an irritated voice.

“But I’m your partner, and I ---”

“No, you are not. You helped me once, Jamison. _Once._ And while I am grateful, I actually have a partner now. We’ve been working together for a couple of months. In fact, he should be here at any minute, so if you wouldn’t mind…”

But the other man, Jamison, didn’t seem to get the hint. Instead, he let out a sigh. “I wasn’t talking about _that_ kind of partner.”

“No.” Akira’s voice was flat. “We agreed to that, remember? It was just sex. Nothing more. I told you that every time, and you agreed.”

“Yes, well, after three times, things change.”

“No, they don’t.”

“Come on, Kira. You can’t expect ---”

“Don’t call me that!” he snapped. “You have no right to call me by that name.”

Silence answered him, and Leandro held his breath, waiting to hear the sound of the other man’s retreating footsteps. But they never came. Instead, Jamison spoke again. And, when he did, his voice was a low, throaty purr. “You didn’t seem to mind me calling you that while I was fucking you.”

Leandro stumbled back, as though the words had been a physical blow instead of just speech. He felt his lungs freeze in his chest as his vision went red with anger. Hearing the man talk about Akira like that, talk about _the_ _man he loved_ in that manner, made Leandro’s hands curl and his lips pull back into a snarl. And, before he even had time to think about what he was doing, he was storming into the training room.

His eyes went instantly to Jamison. The other man was standing right in front of Akira, _too_ close, making a growl form somewhere deep in Leandro’s chest. The man was taller than the red paladin, and whip-thin. He had longish brown hair that hung in his face. But Leandro could still make out the predatory smile on his face, the hungry look in his eyes as he leaned down towards the other man.

Akira was staring back up at him, defiance written clearly all over his face. His eyes were the color of angry storm clouds, a swirled mix of dark gray and purple. His mouth was pressed into a tight line, and his arms were crossed over his chest. Leandro knew that Akira could take care of himself, that he wouldn’t allow Jamison to do anything he did not want him to, but that wasn’t the point. Leandro wasn’t coming to save him. He was just going to make sure that this Jamison understood that Akira was now off limits.

“Gentlemen,” he said, trying to keep his voice as smooth as possible, despite the fact that his blood was boiling in his veins. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

The other two men turned their heads towards him, but Leandro kept his gaze fixed firmly on Jamison. His hands were on his hips, his stance relaxed, trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

Jamison frowned at him. “Who are you?” he asked, sounding as though Leandro had the significance of a bug.

“I’m his partner,” he replied, tipping his head towards Akira. Then he let his lips peel back into a wolfish smile. “In _every_ since of the word.”

Jamison’s eyes widened a fraction, and he turned back to Akira, mouth open as if to say something. But then he stopped, gaze swinging back to Leandro, eyes narrowing. “Wait. I know you. You are the man that was on TV. The one claiming to be Leandro Sanchez.”

“Not just claiming.” Leandro dropped into a deep bow, though he never took his eyes off of the other man. “Leandro Julian Sanchez, at your service.” He stood, still holding Jamison’s gaze. “Now, I believe _my partner_ asked you to leave. We have a scheduled training this morning, and he doesn’t like having other people here.”

Jamison’s lips twisted. “We were trying to have a _private_ conversation that does not include you.”

“Not anymore. Not when _I_ am supposed to be here and _you_ are not.” Leandro gestured to the entrance. “Shall I show you out?”

They stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them daring to move. Leandro couldn’t help but smirk. He’d grown up with four older siblings. If Jamison thought he was going to be intimidated by a stare-down, then he was about to be sorely disappointed.

Finally, Jamison lifted his chin, dropped his arms to his side, and began walking towards the entrance. Leandro let his smirk grow, just a little, just so the other man would understand that Leandro knew he had won.

But he didn’t leave. Instead, he stopped next to Leandro, leaning in so that his lips were right next to the blue paladin’s ear. “Do not think,” he said softly, breath washing over Leandro’s neck, “that he is yours. He is not. He will _never_ be yours. Or anyone else’s. Soon, he will bore of you as well, and he will discard you like he does all of the rest of his playthings.”

Leandro gritted his teeth, and he had to curl his hands into fists so he didn’t punch the other man in the face. “That is your problem right there, my friend,” he said, turning to face Jamison. “Akira doesn’t belong to anyone but himself, and he never will. He is his own person, and I wouldn’t want him any other way.” He bared his teeth. “And, if he decides he doesn’t want me, I’ll respect that wish instead of pathetically begging him to pay me attention.”

Whatever response Jamison had been expecting, it hadn’t been that one. His eyes widened with shock, and Leandro couldn’t help but feel a grim sort of satisfaction. _Point to me,_ he thought smugly.

It didn’t take long for Jamison to recover, his expression sliding back into one of disdain, though Leandro couldn’t miss the anger flashing in his eyes. “Enjoy what little time you have,” the other man murmured. Then his eyes flickered back to Akira. “Call me when you get bored of this one,” he called out lazily. “I’ll be waiting.”

Then he was gone.

“Well!” Leandro said cheerfully, turning back to Akira. “He seems like a charming fellow.”

Akira groaned and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I am _so_ sorry you had to witness that. I never thought that this would be a problem. Though I appreciate you stepping in. I didn’t think I was ever going to get him to leave.”

Leandro made a sound that was vaguely sympathetic. “Ex-boyfriend?”

Akira let out a short bark of laughter. “ _Gods,_ no! I don’t do the whole… _boyfriend_ thing.” He said the word as though it were something bitter. “And, even if I did, it certainly wouldn’t be with _him.”_

“Does _he_ know that? Because I’m not sure that he does.”

“Yes. Every single time we got together I told him. I _told_ him it was nothing but sex. That he shouldn’t expect anything else. Hell, I never even stayed the night. He _knows.”_ He let out a deep sigh. “Stars, but I should have known this would be a problem. He was starting to get a little possessive last time. That’s why I stopped calling him.”

“What made you decide to pick him in the first place?” Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, Leandro was shaking his head. “No, don’t answer that. It’s none of my business.”

“I don’t mind telling you. Besides, he kind of made it your business. But first…” Akira pursed his lips and looked Leandro up and down with an appraising eye. “How are you feeling? Physically, I mean. Have you been able to do any type of exercise lately?”

Leandro looked down at his body as if as he could visually determine his fitness level. “Um… I guess I feel okay? My side doesn’t pull anymore when I stretch.” He lifted the arm on his injured side to demonstrate. “And I was doing the exercises that Dante cleared me for. But I didn’t really have a chance to do many of them while I was gone.”

Lips still pursed, Akira gave a nod. “All right. We’ll start off slow today, see how you do. I don’t want to put you back in full force and injure yourself even more. Come on.” He led his partner over to the exercise equipment and pointed to the gravity bike. “Let’s go.”

Leandro groaned, feeling his shoulders slump. “Aw, man. I _hate_ this thing.”

There was a wicked glint in the other man’s eyes --- which, Leandro noticed, had returned to their usual, lighter shade. “I know. But I’m not asking you to take it to the ceiling. We’re just testing your stamina.” He threw a leg over the neighboring bike. “I’ll ride with you.”

He let out another dramatic sigh, but he climbed onto the bike as ordered. He started off slow, letting his body get used to the movement before speeding up, falling into a rhythm that was comfortable but not too stressful on his body. After a few moments at this speed, he looked down to see that the bike was at least a foot off of the floor. _Not bad,_ he thought, pleased. He had been afraid that his inactivity over the past several weeks would have taken a harder toll on him than this.

“Don’t push yourself too hard!” he heard Akira call out. Turning, he saw that his partner had managed to raise his bike to hover next to his. “Dante will kill me if you get hurt on my watch. If Petra doesn’t kill my first, that is.” 

“Yes, Mother,” Leandro grumbled. But he was smiling. It felt _good_ to be working his body like this again. He hadn’t realized he’d missed it. 

They rode in silence for several moments, both of them getting into their own zone to where they could ride without having to think about it. Finally, Akira let out a sigh, sitting up, even as he kept pumping his legs in order to keep his bike in the air. “I’m sure by now you’ve noticed I’m not much of a people person,” he said, a hint of apology I his voice. “There is a reason why Hayach is my only friend. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve always worked alone, and one of the reasons why I, you know…” He waved a hand in the air.

“Don’t do the whole boyfriend thing?”

“Exactly. Attachments are hard for me, so I just don’t make them. I go to other men in the Deliverance, ones that I know and trust, and we come to an agreement. It’s always just sex. No staying the night, no contacting each other for anything else, and if any feelings start brewing, we cut it off. That’s just the way it’s always been with me. 

“Jamison and I went to school together. We were never friends, though he certainly tried. He was always hanging around me, trying to talk to me, trying to get me involved with some club or something that some of the kids in the Deliverance had going. I always told him no, that I wasn’t interested. But he never listened. Always kept coming back and trying again.”

Leandro snorted. “I’m sure he did. People tend to do stupid things in order to get their crush’s attention.”

Akira turned to look at him, brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“It’s obvious he had a crush on you back then. You don’t keep coming around someone who has blown you off unless you got it bad for them. And, from the way he acted earlier, it looks like he’s still carrying that torch.”

The crease between the other man’s brows deepened. “What are you talking about?”

Leandro lifted an eye brow in Akira’s direction. “You know, he had a crush on you?” When Akira still looked confused, Leandro’s eyebrow went higher. “You _do_ know what that means, right? To have a crush on someone?”

“No.”

Leandro’s surprise was enough that his bike dropped a few inches, and it took him a moment to get it back up next to Akira’s. “Well, a crush is when you _like_ like someone. You know, you think they are cute and you want to be with them. Hold their hand, kiss them, all of that. You do stupid things when you have a crush on someone. Like keep coming back to someone who has already told you they are not interested.”

“Oh.” Akira looked down, but Leandro didn’t miss the flush of color that suddenly appeared on his cheeks. “That… That explains a lot, actually.” He blew out a breath and lifted his head back up. “Alina sent me on a mission about a year ago that Hoshi didn’t think was safe for me to do on my own. I protested, of course, but he’s my older brother, so of course he got his way. He said he would appoint someone to be my partner for the mission, and he chose Jamison. That’s how we ended up working together. And he was someone I had known for a long time, and I trusted him --- as much as I trust anyone outside of the team --- so I asked him if he would be interested. He said yes, and here we are now.” 

“Didn’t you say he was getting possessive?”

“Yeah.” He reached up and folded his arms across the top of his head, staring forward. “The last time we were together, he got upset when I got ready to leave, kept asking if he could call me, wanted to know when we would get together again. So I just decided that I wouldn’t call him again. I honestly thought that would be it, that it would just… go away.”

“Like I said, you do dumb shit when you’re in love with someone.” 

Akira groaned. _“Please_ stop saying he’s in love with me. The idea of that just…” A shudder passed through his body.

Leandro sat up on his bike so that he could look over at his partner. “Does it really bother you that much? The idea of being in a relationship with someone? Of being in love?” 

“No,” Akira said, a note of surprise in his voice. “I want to. Be with someone, that is. I _want_ to fall in love. At least once. But… well.” He let his arms fall back down. “What if the Galra ever catch me? If they find out who I am, and they find anyone I care about, they could easily use them against me. I would give up everything to keep those I care about safe. And I haven’t found anyone I’m willing to risk that for.” He paused. “At least, not yet.” 

Neither of them spoke after that.

It didn’t take Leandro long to fall back into a daily routine. He was quite happy to be back in a familiar pattern of training, eating, working, and debriefing. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed the _normalcy_ of it all.

There was one thing different, however, one more step added into his day: every night, after debriefing, he found himself somehow spending at least another hour with Akira. He never meant to. After all, they each had things they wanted to do before bed. But, somehow, they always ended up somewhere together, talking. Sometimes it was just the two of them, drinking a beer and chatting. Sometimes it was all of the team, gathered in someone’s apartment to watch a movie. Sometimes they were playing video games with Hayach. But no matter what they were doing, they were always together. _Bonding,_ he had explained to Akira one night.

It quickly became Leandro’s favorite part of the day. Especially when it was just the two of them. Because whatever had started between them all those weeks ago was finally starting to bloom. When they played video games with Hayach and Petra, Leandro would reach out and take Akira’s hand in his. When the whole team got together to watch a movie, Akira would nestle against Leandro, resting his head against the other man’s chest or shoulder. And Leandro would curl his arm around his partner, or play with his hair, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. This was, he realized, the happiest he could ever remember being.

The problem was that, long after everyone was gone, long after he had gone to bed and should be asleep, Leandro couldn’t stop thinking about those moments. About Akira himself. And how hard it was becoming for Leandro not to simply grab the other man’s face and kiss him until they were both breathless.

But was that what _Akira_ wanted? Leandro couldn’t help but think about that day in the training room and the words that had been said.

_It was just sex._

_You didn’t seem to mind when I was fucking you._

_I don’t do the whole boyfriend thing._

_I just haven’t found anyone that I want to have a relationship with._

Was Akira just trying to get comfortable with Leandro so that he would ask him to be his sexual partner? To add him to the list of names he had already accumulated? If so, Leandro knew he wouldn’t be able to do it. It would never be ‘just sex’ for him. Not with Akira. Not when Leandro was already in love with him.

He had already imagined what it would be like, the first time the two of them were together. It was all he had been able to think about since the confrontation with Jamison. And every time they were together --- every time they shared a look, a smile, or a touch --- it just made the images that much more vivid. He could picture it clearly now: Akira, here, in Leandro’s bed, dark hair spilled around him like a halo. His eyes would be the color of amethysts as he reached up for Leandro’s mouth, whispering his name. Leandro would spend hours making love to him, exploring every inch of his body, learning where the other man liked to be touched, liked to be kissed. And, when it was over, neither of them would be leaving. Instead, they would sleep together, curled up in one another’s arms, knowing that they were each cared for, cherished. _Loved._

No, he would never be able to just have a casual relationship with Akira. The feelings were already there, had been for some time now. For him, it would have to be all or nothing. And if Akira only wanted sex, then Leandro would just have to find a way to change his mind. Or else he would have to fulfill his part of the agreement with Alina and leave the Deliverance --- and Akira --- far, far behind.

But he didn’t _want_ to leave. And not just because the idea of leaving Akira made a knot of panic begin to form in his chest. But he had made a home here. He had found a family, people who had accepted him into their lives as though he had always been there. He had already lost one family. He didn’t want to consider the possibility that he might have to give up another.

But he was getting ahead of himself, wasn’t he? Maybe he wouldn’t have to leave. After all, both Hoshi and Hayach had said that Akira had never been this way around anyone else. Had never wanted to always be near someone, had never touched someone the way he touched Leandro. That had to mean something, right? Besides just casual sex?

Maybe this was just Akira’s way of getting comfortable with the men who he planned to invite into his bed. Maybe he and Jamison had once cuddled on the couch together while watching a movie. (Though, to be honest, the very idea of that left a sour taste in Leandro’s mouth.)

Aaaaaaannnnd he was right back where he had started.

With a groan of frustration, Leandro threw aside his blankets and got to his feet. He knew there would be no sleep for him at this rate. If he wanted a chance at any rest, he would need to find something to quiet his thoughts. Or to take his mind off of his dark-haired, violet-eyed partner.

When he walked into the living area, he wasn’t surprised to find Petra curled up on one end of the couch, a tablet in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other. She narrowed her eyes at him as he came to flop down on the other end of the couch. “This is the third night in a row you haven’t been able to sleep,” she said in an accusatory tone.

“Pot, meet kettle.”

“Yes, but I _never_ sleep. You, on the other hand, sleep like the dead.” Her face softened. “You’re not having night terrors again, are you?”

“No, thank the stars.” He let out a long sigh as he tipped his head back, resting it against the back of the couch as he closed his eyes. “It’s Kira.”

“Kira?” She frowned. “What’s wrong with Kira? I thought everything was going great with you two. Did something happen?”

“Yes? Kind of?”

She put her tablet and coffee aside. “Tell me.”

So he did. He told her about the conversation he had overheard between Akira and Jamison, and then about the words he and his partner had exchanged afterwards. “I just don’t know what he’s wanting. I mean, he told me point blank that he hadn’t met anyone he wanted to have a relationship with. So it makes me think that he wants it to be a casual sex partnership, like all of the others. But I can’t do that, Pet. Not with him. Now I don’t know _what_ to do.”

She made a thoughtful humming sound. “What does it feel like to you? Is he coming across as a man who just wants to have a sexual relationship with you and nothing else? Because that sure isn’t how it looks from the outside.”

Leandro opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling as he thought about all of the interactions between he and Akira since he had first come to the Castle. He remembered their first training session, when Akira had asked for his permission to touch him. He remembered how Akira had refused to call him Leo until they fought side by side. He could still see Akira sleeping in the chair by his hospital bed, remember how gentle the other man had been when he had carried Leandro from the wheelchair to his bed. He could still feel Akira’s arms around him after the broadcast, and the feel of Akira’s lips against his forehead the day he had returned. He thought of everything they had shared and realized that there had been no sign of lust, or need, or want want. Just caring.

He blew out a long breath, feeling some of the tension he had been carrying around for days leave his body. “No,” he said softly. “No, it doesn’t.”

“That’s what I thought.” She reached out to pat his hand. “You forget that while the two of you are busy looking at each other, I’m watching _both_ of you. And, believe me, that boy has it _bad_ for you. When he looks at you, it’s like there is no one else in the room. And, when he smiles at you, he goes so soft he practically melts. I may not be an expert on people, but that does not seem like the behavior of someone who only wants you for sex.”

Leandro let out a groan as he reached up to scrub at his face. “Then what do I _do?_ He said that he doesn’t do the boyfriend thing, and that he hasn’t met anyone he wants to have a relationship with, but… _Arrrgggh!_ Why is this so complicated??”

“You’re going to have to talk to him about this.”

He let his hands hit the couch with a _thump_ as he rolled his head to look at her. “You’re kidding right? I mean, what am I supposed to do? Invite him to my room for a beer and a chat? ‘Hey, Kira. I know you said you don’t do the whole boyfriend thing, but I kind of want to be your boyfriend. Oh, and you can forget the whole casual sex thing, because I’m pretty sure I’m already in love with you’.” He shook his head. “No way. That will just make him want to get as far away from me as possible.”

She let out a huff of air as she leaned back against the arm of the couch. “You’re going to have to, Leo. If not, the wondering is going to drive you insane.”

He let out another groan. “I know. But…” He paused. “What if he says he does just want sex? I mean, we both know that Kira is a bit… _awkward_ when it comes to dealing with people. Maybe this really is his way of getting comfortable. And if he says that’s all it is…” He shook his head. “I can’t do that, Pet. This is so different from all those other times I said I was in love. _He’s_ different. And if he doesn’t have feelings for me, or doesn’t _want_ to have feelings for me…” He bit his lip, feeling that knot of panic starting to form in his chest yet again.”

“Hey, hey.” Petra reached out to take his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, okay? We don’t know if that’s how he feels.”

“But what if it _is?”_

“Talk to him first. See what he has to say. Then we’ll go from there.”

He made it two more days.

Leandro thought that he would make it longer. After talking to Petra, he actually felt a bit better. Petra didn’t sugar-coat things. If she had thought that Akira didn’t care for him in the way that Leandro wanted him to, she would have told him, if for no other reason than to save him from heartbreak. It wouldn’t be the first time she had told him someone wasn’t good for him. He still fought to go to sleep that first night, but it was certainly easier than it had been.

On the second night, after their debriefing, Petra and Hayach informed them that they had a project they were working on and wouldn’t be able to participate in the rest of the evening. Dante and Hoshi had also declined. And so it was that Leandro found himself alone in his apartment with Akira.

“I want to hear you play some music,” Akira said, nodding towards Leandro’s bedroom. “I’ve seen your guitar case in there, but I’ve never heard you play. Will you? Since it’s just us?”

“Oh!” Leandro hadn’t been expecting that, and he reached up to rub at the back of his neck with sudden nerves. “I mean, I don’t mind. If you want. But, ah, I’m not very good.”

This caused the other man to let out a snort. “If there is one thing I have learned about you, Leandro Sanchez, it’s that, when you decide to do something, you _do_ it. You don’t just _kind_ of do it. So I doubt you’re not very good.” He shrugged. “Besides, I’ve never actually heard anyone play a guitar in real life, only on holovids. So I don’t really have anything to compare your performance to.”

“Really?” Leandro dropped his hand so that he could stare wide-eyed at him. “You’ve seriously never heard anyone play a guitar before? Even here at the Castle?”

“Never.”

“Well, I can’t say no to that now, can I?” Leandro bowed and gestured his partner towards his bedroom. “After you. Feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

He had honestly expected the other man to sit in the plush chair at his desk. Instead, Akira went to perch on the edge of Leandro’s bed before he started to remove his shoes. Leandro blinked at him for a moment, before hurrying over to where his guitar case rested against the wall, trying to get his thoughts in order.

_Shit shit shit,_ he thought frantically as he undid the clasps of the case. _Kira is here. In my room. On my bed. We’re alone. What am I supposed to do?_ Am _I_ supposed _to do something?_

Then another thought struck him, and he felt his hands go still. _What if he’s doing this so he can ask me to have sex with him?_ It would make sense: they were alone, they were already in Leandro’s room, on his bed. All Akira had to do was ask.

What would he do? What would he _say?_ To be honest, the whole idea of talking to Akira about this --- about _them ---_ terrified him. He never knew what to do, what words he was supposed to say, when he fell in love with someone. And with Akira… He wanted this. Whatever they had, he wanted it. He wanted the cuddling on the couch, the holding hands, all of the things you were supposed to do with the person you loved. But he had no idea how to ask for it. And if the other man asked him here, tonight, if he wanted a sexual relationship and nothing else---

“Leo?” Akira’s voice cut through his thoughts, startling him. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I, uh, just got lost in thought.” He took a deep breath as he pulled the guitar from its case, trying to find at least a measure of his normal confidence. When he turned back around, he had a grin on his face. “Well, if I am to be serenading you, do you have something in particular you’d like to hear?”

Akira was sitting with his back against Leandro’s headboard, one leg stretched out, the other bent, an arm draped casually over his knee. “Nothing in particular, no. I just wanted to hear you play.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Are you singing as well?”

“I mean, I may as well give you the full Loverboy Leo experience. Since you’re here and all.”

That eyebrow went up another fraction of an inch, and one corner of his mouth twitched. “’Loverboy Leo’?”

Leandro let out a cough as he waved a dismissive hand, feeling his cheeks start to warm. “Ah, just a persona. Nothing more. Give me just a moment to tune this, okay?”

He sat on the opposite end of the bed from his partner, sliding back until his back rested against the wall. He sat the guitar in his lap, adjusting it until it felt comfortable, then fell into the routine of tuning the instrument. Once he was satisfied, he glanced back up at Akira. “Last chance for requests.”

Akira just shook his head. “Play whatever you like,” he said softly.

He strummed idly for a moment, trying to think of something to play. Should he try and impress the other man? He had a few songs that he knew he could play and sing pretty well, and they had never failed to help him get at least a phone number from an appreciative fan. But this was Akira. He didn’t need to impress him. Instead, he wanted to share something with him, something personal.

He wasn’t sure why he chose the song he did. While it had a deep, personal meaning to him, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to play this one for Akira. It was perhaps a bit _too_ personal to share.

And yet he found his fingers picking out the chords almost on their own, his voice singing the words softly. 

_“Stay with me.”_

He didn’t remember very much about the first few weeks after escaping the mines, but what he did remember was all bad. There had been night terrors every night, night terrors so bad he would wake up covered in blood from where he had clawed at himself. Petra would always be there to comfort him as best as she could, but there were many a night --- far more than he liked to think about now --- where he had wanted to die. Where he had begged her to leave him, to just let him die. Or let the Galra find him and kill him. But she hadn’t. She had always stayed right there with him. And, almost every night she had sang this song to him.

_Open your eyes._

Things were so much better now. He hadn’t had a night terror in years. And dying was the last thing he wanted to do. Not when he was just discovering what all life had to offer. But sometimes, when he missed his family ao much the aches went all the way into his soul, he would listen to this song and let himself miss them. Let himself cry and wonder _what if._

_Breathe in life._

He couldn’t do the song justice, not really not with just his acoustic guitar. The original included a full band, as well as a full orchestra. But, as he continued to play and sing, eyes closed, he could almost imagine the rest of the music flowing through him so that Akira could hear it as well

_Stay with me._

He let he music --- and his voice --- fade away, leaving silence in its wake. Leandro sat still for a long moment, taking a steadying breath before opening his eyes and turning a sheepish smile onto his partner. “Sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to play something so depressing.”

Akira had moved during the performance, shifting forward so that he was kneeling in the middle of the bed, even closer to Leandro now. When he looked up, he saw a look on the other man’s face that he could not read. “Leo,” he said in a soft voice, his face taking on a concerned expression as he reached out to touch his cheek. “You’re crying.”

He blinked in surprise. “I am?” He hadn’t realized it. But when Akira gently swiped at the area under his eye with a thumb, he could feel the wetness spread across his skin. “Huh.” He offered another weak smile. “Guess I really know how to show a guy a good time, huh? I play a depressing song cry.”

Akira offered a small smile, his fingertips still pressed to Leandro’s cheek. “I thought it was beautiful,” he said softly. “Thank you so much for sharing it with me.”

Leandro felt his breath hitch in his throat as he stared at the other man. His heart was pounding in his chest, beating so fast that he had a distant thought to be afraid for his ribs. Akira’s eyes were bright with concern and that other emotion he couldn’t identify, His fingers against Leandro’s cheek were gentle, and his thumb made another swipe under his eye.

Leandro swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. This was it. This was the moment he needed.

“Kira,” he said, voice soft, as he reached up to press the other man’s hand to his cheek. “There is something I need to ask you. But… Well, I might have a bit of trouble asking. So just bear with me for a few minutes. Okay?”

A small crease formed between his eyes as his brows furrowed, but Akira nodded. “Sure. Take your time.”

Leandro nodded back, took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “That day in the training room, that first day after I got back? When Jamison was in there? You told me that you didn’t want a relationship with anyone. And I respect that. If that is what you want then I will never bring this up again. Unless you want to, that is.” He felt his face getting warm, and he suddenly couldn’t look Akira in the eyes. “I know that you normally have… partners. Men that you can have sex with, but that you don’t have any emotional attachment to. Please don’t take this as me judging you. Because I’m not. The only reason I bring it up is because…. Well…” He reached up with his free hand to rub the back of his neck. “I sort of… Well, not sort of. I really, um, would like to be in a relationship. With you. And not just the sex. Though we can do that too, if you want. But the rest of it. You know.” He waved his hand vaguely in the air. “Relationship-type stuff.”

God, he was mucking this all up. “I thought that, maybe, you might want that, too. I know you said you haven’t met anyone you want a relationship with, but we’ve gotten so close, and… You never hesitate to touch me. You always seem so comfortable with me. And you have done so much for me. God, Kira, if you only knew what you’ve done for me. I know things didn’t start off under the best of circumstances, but… I haven’t met anyone else I’ve wanted to be with so badly. And I don’t mean sex. I mean just be around you. Just being in the same room with you makes me so ridiculously happy. I know I don’t know how you feel. I know I might be way off base here, but I have to ask you. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it --- about you, about _us_ \--- since that day. And I know that, if you only want casual sex, I can’t give you that. Because I love you, Kira. I fucking _love_ you. And, yeah. This may be the worst confession in the history of confessions, but here it is. I just… I just want to know what I am to you. What you _want_ me to be to you. Because the wondering is killing me.”

Silence.

Leandro felt his heart clench in his chest, and he stared fixedly at a spot on his floor, afraid to look up and see what expression was on his partner’s face. _I’ve fucked up,_ he thought desperately. _I shouldn’t have told him that I loved him. God, what was I thinking? Now he’s not going to want anything to do with me. He’ll go back to just being my partner, not even my friend. I’ll ---_

A hand, roughened with callouses, slid against his other cheek, pulling his face back towards Akira. “Leo.” Akira’s voice was gentle, no trace of anger or uncertainty to be found. “Look at me. Please.”

He took a deep, fortifying breath, steeled himself for rejection, and looked ack up at his partner.

Akira’s eyes were bright, the color the shade of lavender Leandro remembered from his dream. And, as he watched, that brilliant, beautiful smile spread across the other man’s face. “It could never be just sex with you,” he said, tone still gentle. “Not for me, either. That day of the broadcast, when it was over and I came to you, I have never wanted to kiss anyone so much in my life. I wanted to do whatever it took to make your hurt go away. But I didn’t know what to do.” He reached up to brush one of Leandro’s curls away. “I’m not good with people. You know that. And I have no idea how to _be_ with someone else. But I would like to try it. With you. If you’ll allow me.”

Leandro blinked at him, trying to get his brain to understand the words that had just been said to him. “I… What?”

Akira’s smile turned into a full-blown grin as he leaned forward, putting his face just inches from Leandro’s. “It means that, yes, I want to do the relationship thing with you.” He held Leandro’s gaze. “I haven’t been with anyone since the day I met you, Leo. I haven’t _wanted_ to. Because all I could think about was how much I wanted to be with you.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had thought --- had _dreaded_ \--- that the answer would be different. Had prepared himself for it as best as he could. He hadn’t even thought about what to do if Akira had said _yes_. “You… you do?”

“Very much so.” His eyes trailed down to Leandro’s mouth, and, a moment later, his thumb was gently brushing across Leandro’s bottom lip. “May I?” His voice was quiet, hesitant, hopeful.

A powerful shudder went down Leandro’s spine, and he couldn’t stop a gasp from escaping at Akira’s touch. _He wants to kiss me,_ he thought dumbly. _Akira wants to kiss me._ And then, _Akira wants to kiss me!_

And he was so close. Close enough that Leandro could feel his warm breath wash over his cheek. Close enough that he could see that his eyes actually were purple, with flecks of gray dotted throughout. Close enough that it would take no effort at all for Leandro to close the distance between them and press their lips together. He could just nod, just say yes, and then ---

A loud, blaring alarm suddenly sounded, echoing loudly in the small room. Leandro let out a startled yelp and jerked back. This caused him to tip over the edge of the bed, and though he windmilled his arms in an effort to regain his balance, he still fell, landing on his hip. A second later, his guitar hit the floor with a _twang._ He immediately popped back up, looking around frantically. “What the _fuck?”_

Akira didn’t look nearly as startled as Leandro. Instead, he was looking at his wrist with an annoyed expression. He turned to Leandro and held up his arm. “Comms,” he said, pointing to the device on his wrist. “It’s a message. Probably from Alina.”

Leandro looked down at the device strapped to his wrist, noticing that it was blinking as well as wailing. He reached out and tapped it. A second later, Alina’s mage was projected in the air above the device.

“Hello, paladins,” she said, voice echoing as both he and Akira played the message. “I know you all just left our debriefing, but we just received some new information that we need to act on right away. So, please, I need you all to return to the command center at once.” Then she was gone.

Leandro stared down at the comm, feeling a sense of anger crawling up his spine. _Akira was this close ---_ this close --- _to kissing me, and she interrupted us for a meeting??_ _Of all the…_ The worst part was that the moment was over now, and he knew they couldn’t get it back. Not right now, anyways.

Akira let out a heavy sigh and reached down to tug his shoes on. “I guess we should go,” he said, sounding as if he’d rather do anything but that. “Else she’ll keep calling us until we show up.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right.” Leandro ran a hand through his hair before moving to place his guitar back in its case. As he closed the clasps, he noticed that his hands were slightly shaking. Probably from the adrenaline of the near-kiss, and then the alarm. _He almost kissed me,_ he thought again, this time depressed because it was an almost-kiss instead of an actual kiss. _Fuck._

He got to his feet and turned to Akira with a huff, leveling a finger at the other man. “Don’t think that this conversation is over,” he said sternly.

His partner blinked at him, then his lips peeled back into a feral grin. “You’re damn right, it’s not.”

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please listen to the song that Leandro sings for Akira [here](https://open.spotify.com/track/6G7KraD6OUZ8lSMfgjiPr5?si=WHtdFE52QtG-g3xE60KKaw)
> 
> As always, thoughts comments, suggestions, and other pieces of inspiration are welcome! I love constructive criticism!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I haven't posted any fanfiction in fifteen years, but I couldn't pass up the chance to play in this sandbox. I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to leave comments and/or constructive criticism.


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